Telesat is a Canadian satellite communications company and operator, providing connectivity solutions to telecom, government, and enterprise clients globally. They are currently developing Telesat Lightspeed, a low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation of 198 satellites designed for high-speed, low-latency broadband services. Telesat partners with companies like MDA Space, Orange, and Intellian for satellite manufacturing, terrestrial infrastructure, and user terminals. The company aims to begin launching satellites in 2026, with the constellation fully operational by 2027.
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Manufacturer MDA Space completed a 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to build Telesat satellites at the start of 2026.
Telesat Lightspeed is designed to integrate into terrestrial telecommunications through 3GPP 5G standards and has adopted Metro Ethernet Forum standards for Carrier Ethernet.
Telesat considers Aalyria’s orchestration and network-optimization technologies a key performance and resiliency enabler for the Telesat Lightspeed architecture.
Telesat Lightspeed has a backlog of over $1 billion in orders nearly two years before the planned start of service.
Telesat announced enterprise service agreements with ADN Telecom, Orange, Viasat, and Vocus and a memorandum of understanding with Korea’s Hanwha Systems.
In 2023 Aalyria signed a long-term agreement with Telesat to deploy Spacetime across Telesat’s Lightspeed low-Earth orbit constellation.
Telesat planned to deploy commercial services by the end of 2027 after moving quickly following delays in production and financing.
Telesat made a $5 million equity investment in Farcast and will work with Farcast to develop an enterprise-class flat panel antenna user terminal fully integrated with the Telesat Lightspeed modem.
Mirna Mekic is Senior Director, User Terminal Segment for the Telesat Lightspeed program and has been at Telesat for five years working on next‑generation LEO satellite technology.
Telesat Lightspeed is a Low Earth Orbit constellation whose capital expenditures are supported by consumer-scale demand.
Telesat Government Solutions is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Telesat in Canada.
Telesat’s win on the SHIELD contract validates Lightspeed’s LEO architecture as a viable alternative to traditional geostationary satellites.
Telesat’s upcoming Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation is positioned as a potential supplier of high-speed communications in contested military environments.
Chuck Cynamon is President of Telesat Government Solutions.
Telesat Government Solutions secured a spot on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s $1.51 billion SHIELD contract.
Telesat Lightspeed provides low latency and network assurance capabilities intended to support the Department of Defense in tracking and intercepting modern hypersonic and ballistic threats.
Telesat signed a strategic partnership deal in the Middle East with Es’hailSat on Feb. 9 to deliver Low-Earth Orbit satellite connectivity services to Qatar and key international markets.
Telesat Lightspeed is a Low-Earth Orbit constellation currently in production and designed to deliver high-throughput, low-latency connectivity.
Es’hailSat’s strategic engagement with Telesat is intended to expand Es’hailSat’s international partnerships and provide innovative, high-performance connectivity solutions to its customers.
Telesat plans to launch two Telesat Lightspeed pathfinder satellites in late 2026 to validate satellite performance before broader deployment.