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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Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation creates more attack surfaces, interfaces, and software than earlier satellite systems.
ALL.SPACE’s Hydra MAX terminal is compatible with emerging LEO constellations such as Telesat Lightspeed and Amazon LEO.
Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation is planned to use 198 satellites.
Telesat has secured government-backed financing for its Lightspeed constellation.
Hydra MAX would include Telesat Lightspeed and Amazon Leo.
Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation is expected to enter service in 2028.
Viasat partnered with Telesat’s Lightspeed low Earth orbit constellation in 2025.
The Northwestel and Telesat agreement is not part of the Universal Broadband Fund funding.
Northwestel will use Telesat’s low-Earth orbit constellation to support households, businesses, and institutions, especially in areas without fiber backhaul.
Northwestel has signed a multi-year contract for capacity from Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation to provide broadband services.
Telesat LEO has a milestone extension request pending before the FCC.
Telesat faces a $1.7 billion debt maturity for its legacy geostationary business in December 2026.
Telesat pushed Lightspeed’s full global commercial service to the first quarter of 2028 because of readiness delays with custom SatixFy ASIC chips powering the onboard processors.
Telesat shares rose 19.5 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange after the Lightspeed pivot was disclosed.
The modification of Lightspeed swapped 25 percent of Telesat’s commercial user-link capacity for adjacent Mil-Ka frequencies.
Telesat is adding military Ka-band spectrum to 156 satellites in its Lightspeed low-Earth orbit constellation for defense and sovereignty programs.
Telesat is carving out 500 megahertz of military Ka-band spectrum across its initial 156 Lightspeed satellites.
Telesat’s civilian aviation traffic will route across the same hardware hosting classified military payloads.
Modifying Telesat’s 156-satellite Lightspeed constellation for military Ka-band cost roughly $25 million.
Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg identified Starlink and Amazon Leo as vertically integrated competitors.