Telesat upgrades Lightspeed constellation
March 18, 2026
By Chris Forrester
Ottawa-based Telesat is to add military spectrum Ka-band frequencies to its upcoming Lightspeed fleet. An added 500 MHz of spectrum will be incorporated onto the first 156 satellites “to meet growing requirements of allied defence users,” said Telesat. The satellites are being built by MDA Space and the new functionality will not impact deliveries of the craft.
“Governments have traditionally relied on geostationary Mil-Ka systems to meet their mission critical satellite communications requirements. Now, as a result of evolving operational requirements, technological advancements and geopolitical developments, there is global demand for a Mil-Ka LEO satellite capability, as LEO networks enable distributed, resilient, high throughput, low‑latency, which is critical for military users,” continued Telesat.
However, CEO Dan Goldberg told analysts that it would not now be initiating service from Lightspeed until the spring of 2028, noting: “Mil-Ka is immediately adjacent to the commercial Ka-band spectrum used by Telesat Lightspeed, which allows the addition to be made without adversely impacting Telesat’s schedule. The first two Telesat Lightspeed production satellites will be launched in December 2026, followed by a high cadence launch schedule throughout 2027.”
“We’re seeing very significant global demand for a Mil‑Ka LEO satellite capability as governments respond to recent geopolitical developments and recognise the clear operational advantages offered by advanced LEO constellations,” stated Goldberg. “The addition of Mil-Ka to Telesat Lightspeed will result in a substantial increase to the current global supply of Mil-Ka capacity. Moreover, by integrating it with the already highly advanced Telesat Lightspeed network, the Telesat Mil-Ka capability is expected to have meaningfully superior performance characteristics relative to the Mil-Ka platforms that allied governments have historically relied upon. This is an important development and one that underscores Telesat’s decades-long commitment to support the mission critical requirements of allied defence users.”
“Military satcom architectures require interoperability across national networks, enabling coalition partners to integrate capabilities, share mission‑critical connectivity, and maintain assured communications under joint operational command. With persistent global coverage – including over the Arctic – Telesat Lightspeed Mil-Ka services add a powerful, dedicated layer of interoperable capacity through a secure, flexible, and highly robust data transport layer,” added Telesat’s statement.
Telesat released its Full Year earnings report. Revenues were well down and not helped by the now quite rapid decline of geostationary media-related transmissions.
• Cash & Equivalents: C$569 million
• Revenue: C$418 million, -27 percent YoY
• Net Income: C$(530) million vs. C$(302) million
• Adj. EBITDA: C$213 million, -45 percent YoY
• Contracted Backlog: C$1.8 billion
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