The company’s chief executive Steve Collar said O3B was aiming to offer internet access at affordable prices, considering its low orbiting satellites located in developing countries where broadband connectivity access is minimal.
Owned partly by SES, one of the world’s largest satellites, O3B also has investments from HSBC bank and Google, with funding of approximately $1.3 billion.
Collar told Reuters: “About 20 customers have signed, representing about a third of the capacity of the system. We expect demand to increase.”
The company confirmed it now has customers in Brazil, Columbia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, and plans to launch four satellites this month, four in September and four at the end of 2014.