Sunil Bharti Mittal aims to position OneWeb as a global Starlink alternative

Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal is working to develop the OneWeb satellite network into a global alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink. Supported by Mittal’s Bharti Airtel, OneWeb is owned by the European operator Eutelsat.

Mittal argues that Europe and India require their own satellite solutions to reduce strategic dependence on American and Chinese communication infrastructure. The competition involves not only consumer internet markets but also critical infrastructure related to national security and crisis management.

Despite these ambitions, a significant gap remains between the two providers. SpaceX’s Starlink operates over 10,000 satellites and serves at least 13.6 million customers, generating more than $5 billion in revenue in the three months ending September 2026. In contrast, Eutelsat’s low-orbit segment, which includes OneWeb, generated 70.9 million euros during the same period and operates approximately 650 satellites.

Bharti Airtel has been a long-term investor in OneWeb, having invested in 2015 and later contributing an additional $500 million following a $1 billion rescue effort involving the UK government. India is identified as a primary target market for OneWeb, which has already obtained a license to provide satellite communication services there.