The deal is between OneWeb and Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS), the subsidiary that manages the international wholesale, global roaming, multinationals and US businesses.
Julio Beamonte (pictured), CEO of TGS, said: “Our goal is to empower our customers’ businesses by connecting them to the world through innovative broadband solutions. By partnering with OneWeb, we can augment our portfolio by offering solutions that require low latency.”
Telefónica said that it will use OneWeb’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to reach remote regions that they have not previously been able to serve, particularly for cellular backhaul in 4G and 5G.
The satellites will also providing backhaul backup for critical sites and infill capacity for special events. Where backhaul does not currently exist, OneWeb’s service will help expand Telefónica’s mobile coverage and extend enterprise connectivity, the companies said.
OneWeb’s CEO, Neil Masterson, said: “This arrangement is fantastic news for communities across Europe and Latin America, who will benefit from better and enhanced network coverage.”
Beamonte said: “Our experience will be essential when adapting the OneWeb solution to provide corporate, B2B and cellular backhaul services and help fuel adoption of critical business applications in the hardest-to-connect areas. We are focused on helping our B2B and wholesale customers to drive transformational change in their business, and we believe our partnership with OneWeb will help us do that.”
The pact coincided with the announcement of Telefónica’s plans to celebrate its centenary in 2024 – mainly by unifying its corporate communications areas of the different business units, from Movistar+ to the Telefónica Foundation.
“A special unit has been set up to keep employees around the world in permanent contact with Telefónica’s centenary celebrations,” said the group in Madrid. “It is an integrated project that is also committed to a greater international presence, with communication units in New York and London.”
