Telesat Secures Landmark Contract to Strengthen Canada’s Arctic Connectivity The Canadian government has selected Telesat for a 2.3-billion Canadian dollar ($1.6 billion) contract to provide secure Arctic satellite communications for the Canadian Armed Forces through the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project–Polar (ESCP-P). Scheduled to begin service in 2028, the 15-year agreement will deliver Military Ka-band (Mil-Ka) connectivity and includes two optional five-year extensions valued at approximately 200 million Canadian dollars ($142 million) each, raising the total potential contract value to 2.7 billion Canadian dollars ($1.92 billion). The award will expand Telesat’s Lightspeed low Earth orbit satellite constellation from 156 to 225 satellites with the addition of 69 spacecraft built by MDA Space and launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 missions. Designed to provide resilient, low-latency communications across Canada’s northern regions, the enhanced constellation will support military and commercial operations while ensuring compatibility with NATO and allied partner networks. Separate agreements will cover user terminals, control systems, training, and operational support.
