ISM, which is a Canadian IT managed services provider owned by Kyndryl, said it would offer a service with OneWeb to connect hard-to-reach areas of Canada with fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency broadband service.
This is OneWeb’s first partner announcement since Russia’s war on Ukraine disrupted its launch plans. The company announced on 3 March, several days into the Russian attack, that it was suspending all further launches from Baikonur, a Russian enclave in Kazakhstan.
That halt means the company has only 428 of its planned 648 satellites in operation – enough to provide coverage of parts of the world, but not all.
ISM’s president and CEO, Hasnain Versi (pictured), said: “We are excited to realize our shared vision with OneWeb to further enable remote communities via wireless internet connectivity. We partnered with OneWeb because they have the right combination of technology, innovation, and skills to successfully design and deliver our new solution. This service will help remote organizations and communities by providing an essential service in an accessible way.”
ISM said that it plans to use the OneWeb satellites to provide expanded access to distance learning, telehealth, government services and telework.
Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb, said: “We are committed to bridging the digital divide, and we pride ourselves on removing connectivity barriers that hold economies and communities back. This new service by ISM will enable essential services in new areas and further enable digital transformation across Canada.”
OneWeb is still looking for an alternative solution to launch its remaining 220 satellites, though 36 of them are believed to be still in Baikonur.
