British satellite firm Open Cosmos plans 200-satellite network to rival Starlink

A British satellite company backed by the government’s defence venture capital fund plans to launch a constellation of almost 200 satellites to provide telecommunications services to companies and governments worldwide, as Europe races to build alternatives to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Open Cosmos is aiming to put 96 low earth orbit satellites into orbit by 2028, growing to 192 by 2030, The Times reports. That would make it the largest constellation of its kind operated by a European player after Eutelsat’s OneWeb.

Orbiting 650 miles above the Earth’s surface, the network would provide more secure and resilient communications when traditional telecoms infrastructure fails or becomes overloaded, the company said — allowing users to track severe weather events, co-ordinate emergency responses, or monitor critical infrastructure at risk of cyber or physical attack.

Founder and chief executive Rafel Jordà Siquier said the network could offer an alternative to American and Chinese operators in a “polarising” world. “Right now, there is a big need in Europe to avoid dependency on SpaceX and on Amazon and on systems that are from abroad,” he told The Times.

Starlink has launched more than 10,000 satellites providing broadband to governments, businesses and consumers in remote areas. Open Cosmos unveiled its ConnectedCosmos network concept at MWC Barcelona in March, with plans to manufacture up to 200 satellites a year from its Harwell campus near Oxford and newly awarded Ka-band spectrum rights.

Sources: https://www.thetimes.com/business/technology/article/open-cosmos-launch-satellite-internet-network-rival-starlink-00xxhj8h2 | https://tech.eu/2026/03/03/uk-headquartered-satellite-startup-open-cosmos-plans-european-rival-to-starlink/ | https://www.lightreading.com/satellite/open-cosmos-joins-europe-s-satellite-connectivity-space-race