TAMPA, Fla. — Eutelsat has ordered 100 broadband satellites from Airbus Defence and Space to start replenishing its OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation in a few years.
The first batches of satellites are due to be completed before the end of 2026, the French operator said Dec. 17.
Most of the 654 satellites in OneWeb’s current generation were launched between 2020 and 2023, giving the constellation a design life extending to around 2027-2028.
OneWeb is due to start global broadband services for enterprise and government customers in the spring following ground infrastructure delays.
IRIS2 compatibility
In February, Eutelsat said it had decided to hold off deploying significantly upgraded OneWeb satellites after its current generation expires to instead focus on continuity of service capacity for customers with long-term contracts.
However, Eutelsat said in a brief Dec. 17 news release that the new satellites from France-based Airbus will include “key technology upgrades,” particularly around terrestrial 5G integration.
The incoming satellites would also be technologically compatible with IRIS2, Europe’s sovereign $11.1 billion multi-orbit broadband slated to enter service by early 2031.
Eutelsat, which also operates a fleet of 35 geostationary broadband and TV broadcast satellites, signed a contract yesterday to be the main architect and operator of IRIS2’s LEO segment.
Earlier this year, Eutelsat sold its 50% share of the Florida-based factory that had built the bulk of its current constellation to Airbus, which already held the other half of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture.
In a separate news release, Airbus said all 100 new satellites will be built at its facilities in Toulouse, France.
