Greg Wyler

Greg Wyler
Greg Wyler in 2015

Gregory Thane Wyler is an American tech entrepreneur, engineer, and inventor. He was the founder and executive chairman of OneWeb, and the founder of O3b Networks. Wyler is presently the founder of E-Space.

Business ventures

In 2003, Wyler's company Terracom bought 99% of Rwandatel, Rwanda's national telecommunications company, for $20 million, and was contracted to connect 300 schools to the Internet. Rwandan officials later said only a handful of schools had been connected, and after disputes over the company's licence obligations the government bought the company back in 2007.

In 2007, Wyler founded O3b Networks, Ltd., which raised about $1.3 billion to build a medium Earth orbit satellite constellation providing backhaul for telecom operators in remote markets. By late 2015, O3b had launched 12 satellites.

In 2012, Wyler founded OneWeb with the mission of "enabling Internet access for everyone".

On 1 August 2016, satellite operator SES S.A. completed the acquisition of O3b Networks.

In March 2020, OneWeb entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failing to raise enough capital to complete the build and deployment of its satellite constellation. OneWeb exited bankruptcy with new investment, but Wyler was no longer involved with the company.

Wyler founded satellite communications company E-Space in 2021, to create a network of satellites providing services targeting governments and businesses.

Awards and recognition

In 2015, Wyler received the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation's Innovator award for "pioneering new approaches to satellite communications". In August 2017, FierceWireless readers voted him the top Rising Star in wireless, and in December 2017 he won the publication's "Most Powerful Person in Telecom" reader poll.

References

  1. ↑ Winkler, Rolfe (14 January 2015). "Greg Wyler's OneWeb Satellite-Internet Company Secures Funding". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Rwanda's Government to buy back Terracom Communications". balancingact-africa.com (Issue no 365 ed.). Balancing Act. Archived from the original on 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
  3. ↑ "The Sales and Purchase of 100% shares of TERRACOM sarl and its 99% shares in Rwandatel S.A" (PDF). rura.gov.rw. Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority. August 1, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Innovator Award to Greg Wyler". The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation. 16 November 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 2026-10-29.
  5. 1 2 Dano, Mike (30 August 2017). "OneWeb's Greg Wyler voted the top Rising Star in wireless". FierceWireless. Retrieved 2026-10-29.
  6. ↑ "SES Completes Acquisition of 100% of O3B Networks". www.spaceref.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  7. ↑ Holmes, Mark (14 May 2020). "In the Eye of the Storm: Greg Wyler Breaks Cover to Talk OneWeb". Via Satellite. Access Intelligence. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (10 July 2020). "OneWeb sale to UK-Bharti group gets court approval". BBC News. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  9. ↑ Kelvey, Jon (8 February 2022). "OneWeb founder's new venture aims to make satellites that fight space debris". The Independent. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  10. ↑ FitzGerald, Drew (17 Oct 2022). "The 5G Space Race: A host of aerospace companies and startups are vying to develop satellite networks that can talk to smartphones". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Hollinger, Peggy (2 February 2022). "Founder of OneWeb to join tech's race for space". Financial Times. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Dano, Mike (11 December 2017). "OneWeb's Greg Wyler voted most powerful executive in telecom for 2017". FierceWireless. Retrieved 2026-10-29.