The British government's decision to invest in OneWeb looks set to put it in direct competition with Elon Musk's Starlink constellation, but London is eyeing other opportunities for the satellite system. The UK along with India's Bharti Global cellular communications company made a successful joint $1 billion bid for the failed communications provider, giving UK taxpayers a 45% stake in the company. Bharti will also take a 45% share, while OneWeb's creditors will hold the remainder. The London-based satellite operator says the deal will give it a "robust foundation" to complete the launch of its planned 648-strong constellation. Just 74 of its satellites had been launched when the company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, following Japanese investor Softbank's withdrawal over coronavirus pandemic concerns.
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