Eutelsat launches 20 satellites for the OneWeb network

Eutelsat launches 20 satellites for the OneWeb network

 Eutelsat, the world's third largest satellite operator in terms of revenue, launched 20 satellites for the OneWeb communications network on Sunday, the first step since the merger of the two European companies last year.

The Falcon 9 rocket, manufactured by SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, lifted off carrying the Eutelsat satellites from the Vandenberg Space Base in the US state of California at 0513 GMT. "This is the first satellite launch for the OneWeb network since the merger. We will launch more satellites in the coming years," Eutelsat CEO Eva Brnicki said in an interview with Reuters.

As a result of the merger between the French companies Eutelsat and the British OneWeb in September last year, a group based in Paris was formed that owns more than 600 satellites in low Earth orbit that meet the needs of broadcasting and communications companies and radio stations.

Eutelsat counts telecommunications companies such as the French Orange and the Australian Telstra among its clients, and is also in talks with other companies, such as AT&T, which is based in the United States, to join its list of clients. The company, which has a backlog of orders worth $4 billion, is looking to gain the trust of countries such as India and Saudi Arabia.