OneWeb UK Test with Kymeta u8 User Terminal Hits 200Mbps

OneWeb, which is part owned by the UK Government, has confirmed that their global network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) based broadband satellites is now compatible with the Kymeta u8 flat panel user terminal. A test in France was also able to achieve download speeds of over 200Mbps and uploads of 40Mbps “over repeated testing.”

At present the company, which is also partly owned by Bharti Global, Eutelsat, Softbank and Hanwha, has launched a total of 288 small c.150kg LEO satellites into space and their initial plan is to build a constellation of 648, which is enough for a reasonable level of global coverage by around the end of 2022 (a beta service is due to launch around November 2021).

The main focus of this platform is on improving connectivity for the enterprise, maritime, military and government sectors, but a recent deal with UK ISP BT could also see it being used to support rural broadband services and 5G too (here).

One of the key components of all this will be the user terminal, which is how customers receive the service. OneWeb has already developed a Compact-Electronically Steered Antenna OW1 user terminal of its own, with help from Intellian Technologies and Collins Aerospace (here). But they’ve also been working with Kymeta to develop a flat, high-performance user terminal for communications on the move.

The Kymeta u8 is thus said to be the “first commercially-available flat panel antenna to interoperate with the OneWeb satellite constellation“, as well as geostationary (GEO) satellite constellations (i.e. it’s the only electronically steered flat panel antenna on the market that can currently do both). On top of that it’s already commercially-available and can support both fixed and mobile services.

Valery Gineste, Senior Director of Technology at OneWeb, said:

“We are excited about the performance demonstrated in these early pilot test results and pleased to work with Kymeta as a trusted and knowledgeable partner. The u8 will offer another great choice for OneWeb’s end-customers, particularly those with constrained space requirements or who need communications on the move when OneWeb mobility services start to become available from the end of 2022.”

Kymeta and OneWeb are said to have already performed a series of LEO satellite acquisition, tracking and throughput measurements (full-duplex communications) in Toulouse, France. During this the single aperture antenna achieved downlink and uplink speeds of more than 200Mbps down and more than 40Mbps up respectively over repeated testing (no latency times were included, but earlier tests delivered c.25-40ms).

OneWeb are also working with a number of other companies to develop similar terminal equipment, since choice breeds competition and thus helps to keep prices down. We should point out that such terminals are not intended for residential consumers to use (OneWeb’s setup seems more geared toward supplying the capacity for a distribution point within communities).