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On Wednesday, BT and OneWeb agreed on terms for a Distribution Partner Agreement. The deal will see the latter provide LEO satellite communications services to the former.
BT, OneWeb Partner for Global Distribution
Earlier, the two companies had signed an MoU, and the most recent deal is an extension to the same. This deal will see BT test integration of LEO satcom with terrestrial capabilities. Once successful, BT will start trials early in 2022. What's more, the partnership will also span the world, while focusing on the British telecom market.
BT has set a target to deliver digital solutions across the entire UK by 2028. The telecom company said that to build a capable-enough network, it will "leverage and integrate both terrestrial and non-terrestrial technologies to deliver on the goal of seamless, ubiquitous connectivity".
Moreover, the agreement will also clearly mark a progression towards satcom becoming available within a year. Therefore, BT will try and integrate satcom with terrestrial telecom, as the next logical step. This also complements OneWeb's progress; for now, it will focus on more of a supplementary role, providing backhaul to telecom sites. BT will begin trials for the UK and international customers early next year. With OneWeb growing in size, capacity, and reach, this could also lead to more opportunities. These can include IoT backhaul and FWA in rural areas.
On the occasion, Philip Jansen, CEO, BT Group, said, "We will put OneWeb’s technology through its paces in our UK labs with the goal of delivering live trials in early 2022. Delivered securely and at scale, satellite solutions will be an important part of our plans to expand connectivity throughout the UK and globally, and to further diversify the range of services we can offer our customers".
Also, OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson said, "BT has taken the lead in the recognition of LEO satellite’s advantage. We are delighted as this agreement with BT Group represents an important strategic partnership for OneWeb as we continue to make progress towards our operational launch. We are excited to be playing such a key role in improving the resilience of the overall telecom infrastructure in the UK".