A multi-million-dollar deal between Thailand-based Mu Space and UK firm OneWeb is supporting low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity in mainland south-east Asia.

Mu Space is an aerospace manufacturer and satellite internet service provider and OneWeb is a LEO satellite communications company. The deal provides OneWeb’s LEO connectivity across mainland south-east Asia including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Mu Space will be the only partner for OneWeb in mainland south-east Asia and will be the sole distributor of services to sectors including the government, telecommunications, aviation, maritime, land vehicle, backhauling and healthcare.

This agreement should help remote locations get internet connectivity. Remote monitoring of natural disasters such as forest fires is one life-saving example that remote communities can gain through this agreement. Additionally remote education and healthcare are other possible use cases.

The deal could see an estimated revenue of $100m in the first six years of serving the region. After the six years, Mu Space has the right to extend the deal. OneWeb will have 648 satellites launched to space by the second quarter of this year, with trends further showing future satellite launches will increase in the future. Ultimately this deal could be worth three times the amount of the first six years.

Mu Space aims to connect the region to the rest of the world through space technologies and products that benefit the industry while promoting economic growth.

“We are excited to announce this exclusive partnership as it signifies our strong and excellent relationship with OneWeb,” said Mu Space CEO James Yenbamroong. “The expansion of broadband internet connectivity to remote areas that lack connections is highly crucial and we’re glad to be part of making this possible through space and ground technologies. Our expertise and knowledge of our region, as well as innovative technology, enable Mu Space to provide an ideal supplement to each sector in each nation.”

Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb, added: “The last few years have shown us that remote internet connectivity is both exciting and vital across sectors such as enterprise, education, health and government. We are excited to partner with such a dynamic company that is so well aligned to our goals to further our reach across south-east Asia and connect even more communities and enterprises. This international partnership marks another significant milestone for OneWeb as we look towards activating full global coverage later this year.”

By establishing an inclusive supply chain for space products and components, Mu Space is promoting innovation in the space sector. The company develops and manufactures satellite platforms focused on small satellites.

OneWeb is a communications network powered from space and headquartered in London, enabling connectivity for governments, businesses and communities. It is implementing a constellation of LEO satellites with a network of global gateway stations and a range of user terminals to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to the IoT.