By Mark T Connor • 30 June 2020 • 15:32
Space race Boris
OneWeb will soon be owned partly by the British government. A 20% stake of the company has reportedly been purchased by the government. The American company is seen as a direct competitor to the EU’s ‘Galileo’ satellite system which the UK was a big investor in, but due to Brexit the EU has blocked any access to the UK in the future of the project. OneWeb already has 74 satellites in orbit, and can deliver tracking and internet capability just now. Due to the EU blocking the UK from access to the Galileo system in the future the UK has got to have its own satellite program, for use in defense, and critical national infrastructure after January 1 2021, as the UK will either have a Brexit deal, or no deal situation because negotiations will have ended for the trade deals between the UK and the EU. According to officials, the UK’s government deal with OneWeb is at a “very advanced stage”. The Prime minister has in the past mooted that he would like to have the UK build its own homegrown satellite system, however at the moment teaming up with the American company puts the UK far in advance of the EU’s system as they have it at the moment. Do you support the government’s bid to purchase a stake in the company or should the UK develop its own system?
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