Thomas Seal

Eutelsat Communications SA and OneWeb Ltd. are set to combine in an all-share deal valuing the UK satellite operator at $3.4 billion, a step toward creating a European champion to rival the likes of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. OneWeb shareholders will hold 50% of Eutelsat, which will continue to be listed in Paris and will ask to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.  Both the UK and French governments have stakes in OneWeb and Eutelsat respectively, and the UK will continue to own a special share, giving it certain veto rights over strategic decisions such as the location of the firm’s headquart

Inmarsat, the UK's biggest satellite company, plans to launch a constellation of low-earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft and set up 5G wireless networks, joining a new space race against the likes of Elon Musk. The project, called Orchestra, will create a hybrid network of the company’s existing geostationary satellite technology, land-based 5G networks and LEO satellites, according to Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri. The system will provide next-generation 5G service in high-demand areas and add speed and capacity at digital chokepoints as data use soars.

Europe’s internet infrastructure is riddled with gaps and bottlenecks, exposed over the past seven months by surging hospital admissions to the rise of home working and explosion of e-commerce.