Overview
- Telesat will dedicate 500 MHz of military Ka‑band on the first 156 Lightspeed satellites, replacing the same amount of commercial Ka on the user link and preserving gateway links, to deliver interoperable, lower‑latency global coverage including the Arctic.
- The company estimates the Mil‑Ka change will add about $25 million to costs with no adverse impact on the launch cadence, and it expects Canadian and ITU regulatory approvals will be required.
- Two production pathfinder satellites are slated to launch in December 2026 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, with roughly 96 satellites targeted in orbit by the end of 2027 and full global commercial service now expected around the first quarter of 2028.
- Telesat attributes the three‑month slip to the readiness of ASICs for onboard processors and phased‑array antennas, with the chips developed by SatixFy, now owned by Lightspeed’s prime contractor MDA, remaining a key schedule risk.
- Defense opportunities include a U.S. SHIELD IDIQ vehicle, an MOU with Hanwha Systems, and work with Canada on Arctic MILSATCOM, as legacy GEO revenues decline and the company pursues refinancing for sizable near‑term debt maturities; shares rose nearly 20% on defense optimism.