OneWeb and Telefonica Partner for Cellular Backhaul in Latin America and Europe 

An artist’s rendition of the OneWeb constellation. Photo: OneWeb

OneWeb and Telefonica have signed an MoU to improve connectivity services across Europe and Latin America. The companies said that OneWeb’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity will allow Telefonica to offer coverage in remote areas that it has not been able to serve. 

The collaboration announced Friday is between the LEO satellite operator and Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS), the subsidiary that manages the international wholesale, global roaming, multinational, and U.S. business of Telefonica. 

TGS plans to promote and supply OneWeb’s cellular backhaul services that can be deployed to help improve existing backhaul and support network upgrades to 4G/5G and infill capacity for special events. OneWeb’s service will help expand Telefónica’s mobile coverage and extend enterprise connectivity where cellular backhaul does not exist, the companies said. 

“This arrangement is fantastic news for communities across Europe and Latin America, who will benefit from better and enhanced network coverage,” said OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson. “OneWeb believes that our unique network has a crucial role to play in providing connectivity for the hardest-to-reach areas globally, so we look forward to working with Telefónica to deliver enhanced internet performance and availability to customers.”

Separately, OneWeb recently announced a slate of new hires for its mobility team. OneWeb hired Jason Sperry as director of Business Aviation. Sperry previously worked for Satcom Direct (SD). Drew Brandy joins OneWeb as director of Land Mobility after more than 13 years with Inmarsat, most recently as senior vice president of Maritime. And Nick Maynard joins OneWeb as marketing director of Mobility from Honeywell Aerospace.