A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage carrying 36 British OneWeb satellites lifts off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region, Russia on May 29, 2021. Photo: VCG

British-based firm OneWeb launched 34 satellites into orbit from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, expanding its in-orbit constellation to 322 satellites, it said on Wednesday.

The satellites lifted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome at 18:07 local time on Tuesday, it said in a statement.

OneWeb plans to launch a total of 648 low earth orbit satellites to roll out a high-speed global internet connection including to the most remote corners of the world.

The launch, carried out by Arianespace, keeps OneWeb on track to start a service in swathes of the northern hemisphere this year and to deliver a global service next year, it said.

OneWeb resumed satellite launches in December after emerging from bankruptcy protection with $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium of the British government and India's Bharti Enterprises.

It has received further financing from Bharti as well as investment from Eutelsat Communications and Japan's Softbank.

Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Greg Wyler, OneWeb planned to launch some 650 satellites into low earth orbit to provide universal internet but struggled to raise funds.

OneWeb sent 36 satellites into orbit in July, a landmark launch it said would pave the way for it to begin rolling out a commercial internet service in swathes of the northern hemisphere this year.

The satellites were blasted into orbit by a Soyuz rocket from Russia's Vostochny cosmodrome.

The remote energy-rich Arctic region, which has poor communications infrastructure, has taken on greater significance for world powers as ice has melted due to climate change.

OneWeb in March launched 36 satellites into orbit from a cosmodrome in the far east of Russia.