OneWeb is a chance for UK to lead the satellite race

Linda J. Dodson

Available over the oceans, the mountains, the deserts and in the forests, and in all places where human needs will demand it, these satellites will reach the places that 5G and other broadband technologies will never get to. As a bonus, an investment in OneWeb will give us the chance to solve the UK’s satellite navigation conundrum once and for all.

The UK’s exclusion from the EU’s Galileo programme after Brexit leaves us without a sovereign GPS-like capability, and the Government has committed to filling that gap with a dedicated UK system.

This would give us independence from both the EU’s Galileo, and the US’s GPS, but costs have escalated to an estimated £5bn. Now more than ever, that feels a bit of a luxury.

A solution built around OneWeb would be far more cost-effective because the costs of the satellites, the launches of those satellites and the large parts of the ground systems have already been paid for by the commercial communications venture. This could substantially reduce the bill, making it affordable again.

This would also offer something new, which our allies want and value. A navigation signal through a high-power, high-frequency communications channel from low-earth orbit would be unique (GPS and Galileo both operate from far higher orbits, at far lower power and frequency) so will deliver new levels of performance and resilience.

Of course, this is new technology and we don’t have all the answers. Technology and design decisions still need to be made, and there may be regulatory hurdles.

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