Hughes and Eutelsat Partner to Expand LEO Broadband Satellite Connectivity

European managed network connectivity provider Hughes Network Systems (Hughes Europe) has today announced that they’ve teamed-up with Eutelsat to harness the OneWeb network. This is a global constellation of broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is still partly supported by the UK government (11% stake).

OneWeb (aka – Eutelsat OneWeb) currently has 654 small (c.150kg) first generation (GEN1) LEO platforms in space – orbiting at an altitude of 1,200km (c.600 of them for coverage and the rest for redundancy). The network was completed in March 2023 (here), promising both ultrafast broadband speeds and fast latency times. But a further 15 satellites (plus one GEN2 prototype) were then launched in May 2023 to add “resiliency and redundancy to the network” (here) and then 20 more in October 2024 (here).

In terms of today’s new announcement. Hughes plans to combine their ground equipment, installation, and network management services with the OneWeb network in order to offer enterprises across Europe enhanced internet connectivity (i.e. integrating OneWeb LEO technology into its existing broadband portfolio to help reach areas where traditional networks fall short).

As an engineering partner, Hughes is already developing gateway electronics and the core technology that powers every user terminal in the OneWeb system. Hughes has also designed an electronically steerable flat-panel antenna (ESA) specifically for the OneWeb satellite service.

Christopher Britton, MD at Hughes Europe, said:

“Together with Eutelsat we are bringing reliable, high-quality connections to enterprise and government users across Europe. LEO satellite connectivity with the Hughes ESA and the White glove services from Hughes Europe, offer a European based alternative for high-speed, low-latency coverage.”

Cyril Dujardin, President of the Connectivity Business Unit at Eutelsat Group, said:

“We are pleased to expand on our longstanding partnership with Hughes to enable the delivery of our Eutelsat OneWeb services to European businesses. High-speed, low-latency connectivity is essential to support critical business functions, and we look forward to providing the connectivity needed to help businesses across Europe thrive and succeed.”

Projects are now underway in the manufacturing, construction, power generation, and retail sectors. Additionally, government agencies are reviewing the Hughes LEO service for critical infrastructure connectivity.