The Soyuz rocket took off from French Guiana and put in orbit the six first satellites of the Oneweb constellation named OneWebF6.
The project, started in 2014 by the American industrialist Greg Wyler, aims to provide all individuals, even those who live in excessively isolated regions, with worldwide access to the internet, thus reducing the digital gap.
The commercial target is made up of hundreds of millions of potential internet users who live in regions that are too isolated to benefit from the terrestrial network.
The constellation should consist of about 640 satellites, of 147 kilos each, operating in a circular, low circular orbit, at about 750 miles altitude, about 1200km.
In 2015, OneWeb has entrusted the initial phase of the project to Arianespace, this phase foresees 21 launches with the Soyouz within the 2020 by three aerodynamic bases, including that of Kourou in Guyana.
The satellites were manufactured in Toulouse by the OneWeb satellites company which combines OneWeb, Airbus Defense and Space.