$1bn investment brings global satellite internet a step nearer

Japanese investment in OneWeb offers hope of global internet equality

A US bid to use more than 600 satellites to provide cheap internet access across the world looks set to move forward thanks to a massive cash injection.

Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank has announced that it is putting up a $1bn stake in OneWeb, an American company that includes Richard Branson on its board of directors. OneWeb's plan is to launch a massive constellation of simple satellites to encircle the world and provide access to the internet from anywhere in a cost effective way.