OneWeb Eutelsat Merger On Alongside Australia Deal

OneWeb is on course for rapid growth as they merge with Eutelsat following expansion into Australia and New Zealand. In the works since November 2022, OneWeb and Eutelsat’s amalgamation has headed to its final step: shareholder approval. Once cleared, Eutelsat, the world’s third largest satellite provider, will integrate their 36 GEO satellites with OneWeb’s LEO constellation.

The merger update comes after OneWeb announced a multi-million pound, multi-year deal with Australian satellite service company, Sat One. The companies will work in tandem to deliver “high-speed, low-latency service[s] to more rural and remote areas where connectivity is long overdue,” Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb, said. 

OneWeb Eutelsat Merger

In a deal reportedly worth $3,4 billion, the French and British companies are close to merging after all formal regulatory approvals were procured. Eutelsat is now awaiting their shareholders’ seal of approval, when they vote during a General Meeting on 28th September. 

OneWeb said in a statement: “the combination of Eutelsat and OneWeb will create a leading global player in satellite connectivity.” To defend this bold claim and rival SpaceX’s Starlink network, the companies have their sights on: “operationalising and commercialising [the] Gen 1 [satellite constellation].” 

The New OneWeb & Eutelsat Executive Team

According to OneWeb: “the new executive team will bring together senior leaders of both Eutelsat and OneWeb, with decades of experience in the satellite industry.” OneWeb’s current CEO, Neil Masterson, will remain at the helm until the end of the year to ensure the merger is completed successfully. The executive team includes: 

•    Chief Financial Officer: Christophe Caudrelier;

•    Co-General Managers, BU Connectivity: Stephen Beynon and Cyril Dujardin;

•    General Manager, BU Video: Laurence Delpy;

•    Chief Operations Officer: Massimiliano Ladovaz;

•    Chief Engineering Officer: Arlen Kassighian;

•    Chief Information Officer: David Bath;

•    Chief Strategy & Resources Officer: Jean-Hubert Lenotte;

•    Chief Human Resources Officer: Anne Carron;

•    Chief Communications Officer: Vanessa Mahoney;

•    General Secretary: David Bertolotti

Australia & New Zealand Expansion

OneWeb announced they are expanding into Australia and New Zealand after cementing a deal with Perth based, Sat One. Australia and New Zealand both include isolated areas where terrestrial means of coverage are difficult or impossible to implement. As such, OneWeb said Sat One will offer connectivity services to “remote Australian enterprises, including mine sites and remote communities”. Coverage roll-out will be finalised this year with the constellation already fully operational. 

The partnership will also see the commercial, military, and government sectors benefit from OneWeb’s “digital information, productivity tools, and cloud services.” Masterson said: “Sat One was one of OneWeb’s first partners in Australia and New Zealand. [We] recognised early on the unique capabilities a low Earth orbit satellite constellation can offer to reach some of the most remote locations.”