Canada is putting billions into a Canadian-controlled satellite system designed to give the military secure communications across the Arctic.
The federal Defence Investment Agency has awarded Ottawa-based Telesat an initial $2.3-billion contract for its Lightspeed low-Earth-orbit network, with additional options that could bring the deal to roughly $2.7 billion.
The system will provide secure military Ka-band communications across Canada's North and other high-latitude regions, where reliable connectivity has long been a challenge for the Canadian Armed Forces.
The contract will also expand Lightspeed from 156 satellites to 225, adding 69 spacecraft to the planned constellation.
Those satellites will be built by MDA Space at its Montreal-area manufacturing facility, with Ottawa estimating the broader project could support or maintain about 2,600 jobs annually over several years.
Service is expected to begin in 2028.
For Canada, the larger goal is sovereign military communications that are secure, resilient and controlled through Canadian companies and infrastructure.
#canada #quebec
(Source: Government of Canada, Telesat, The Canadian Press)
