On December 18, 2020 at 12:26 UTC the "Soyuz-2.1b” rocket-carrier was launched from Russian Vostochny Cosmodrome, in the Amur Oblast, in the Russian Far East. The rocket equipped with the “Fregat” upper stage orbited 36 satellites for OneWeb’s broadband internet network. London-based OneWeb said ground teams established contact with the 36 spacecraft, verifying the satellites were alive after launch. OneWeb’s broadband relay network is designed to beam high-speed internet signals around the world.