Telesat to Redefine Global Broadband Connectivity with Telesat Lightspeed, the World’s Most Advanced Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ...
10 February 2021 - 12:30AM
Telesat, one of the world’s largest satellite operators, announced
today that it has entered into an agreement with Thales Alenia
Space to be the prime manufacturer of Telesat’s global LEO
constellation, Lightspeed, initially comprised of a fleet of 298
next-generation satellites integrated with an advanced ground
network. Lightspeed is the most innovative, cutting-edge broadband
satellite network ever conceived. Thales Alenia Space and its
affiliate Telespazio have made a Lightspeed capacity commitment in
connection with the agreement.
Telesat and Thales Alenia Space have engaged in substantial and
sustained collaboration on Lightspeed’s innovative design.
Specifically, Lightspeed has been optimized to serve the
fast-growing broadband connectivity requirements of fixed and
mobile network operators, aeronautical and maritime users,
enterprise customers and governments. Operating under Telesat’s
global Ka-band priority spectrum rights, the first Lightspeed
satellites are expected to be launched in approximately two years,
with customer beta testing beginning shortly thereafter and
commercial services commencing in the second half of 2023.
“We are very pleased to be moving forward with Thales Alenia
Space on Lightspeed, the most advanced and capable LEO network in
the world,” stated Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat. “As
the world’s leader in manufacturing and implementing cutting edge
global satellite constellations, Thales Alenia Space is the right
industrial partner to deliver Lightspeed, a fully integrated global
communications network that will revolutionize satellite-delivered
broadband and give Telesat and its customers a decisive competitive
edge in this high growth market.”
Goldberg added: “The name Lightspeed underscores the essential
speed advantages inherent to Telesat’s LEO design. Lightspeed is
the most technologically capable satellite communications network
in history and exploits the latest advances in space-based data
processing, laser communications, digital antenna technology and
machine learning.”
Lightspeed will provide fibre-like connectivity across the
entire Earth at price points that allow network operators to
efficiently and economically enhance their network coverage,
performance and profitability. Designed with a deep understanding
of the bandwidth intensive applications and cloud-based network
connectivity that users require, Lightspeed will eliminate the
hurdles that telecommunications service providers face today when
incorporating satellite into their networks.
Operating roughly just 1,000 kilometers above Earth in LEO,
Lightspeed will be free from the long latency delays and capacity
limitations that are inherent to satellites in geostationary and
medium Earth orbits. In addition, Lightspeed satellites incorporate
leading-edge technologies and features, including:
- Sophisticated phased array
antennas on each satellite that are combined with advanced
beam hopping technology to create approximately 135,000 beams that
can dynamically focus multiple Gbps of capacity – an order of
magnitude higher than any other system - into demand hot spots like
remote communities, large airports or major sea ports;
- Nearly 1,200 high capacity
optical links – four on each satellite – that
combine to create a first-ever, highly resilient, flexible and
secure space-based IP network, moving data across the network and
around the world at the speed of light;
- Data processing in
space, including full digital modulation and demodulation
on the satellite, coupled with a revolutionary end-to-end
network operating system, that improves link
performance and gives customers unprecedented flexibility for
routing traffic across the globe, eliminating gateway hops for the
fastest, most secure, end-to-end delivery of data; and
- A patent-pending architecture for
the constellation of satellites, which features satellites
operating in both polar and inclined orbital
planes. This results in true pole-to-pole global coverage,
concentrating capacity in areas where it is most needed to
maximize network efficiency and achieve
superior unit cost economics.
Telesat is developing affordable end-user terminals, with a
range of antennas and modems optimized for each of the market
verticals Lightspeed will serve. In addition, Lightspeed leverages
industry-wide network interface standards to enable simple,
seamless integration with customers’ terrestrial networks, without
the need to integrate proprietary hardware or software.
Under the terms of the Agreement, the parties have provided for
the advancement of the program while the financing for the project
is being finalized. The commencement of full construction
activities and the final constellation deployment schedule are
subject to, and conditional upon, the progress of the financing for
the program.
As a responsible owner and operator of space assets for nearly
50 years, Telesat has designed and will operate the Lightspeed
satellites in a manner that ensures that LEO orbits are safely
available for other users and that the night sky is safeguarded for
astronomical observation.
More details about Lightspeed can be found at
https://www.telesat.com/lightspeed. Related resource: Lightspeed
Specifications
About Telesat
Backed by a legacy of engineering excellence, reliability and
industry-leading customer service, Telesat has grown to be one of
the largest and most successful global satellite operators. Telesat
works collaboratively with its customers to deliver critical
connectivity solutions that tackle the world’s most complex
communications challenges, providing powerful advantages that
improve their operations and drive growth. Operating under its
global priority Ka-band spectrum rights, Lightspeed, Telesat’s Low
Earth Orbit network, will redefine global satellite connectivity
with ubiquitous, affordable broadband links and fibre-like
speeds.
Privately held and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with offices
and facilities around the world, Telesat’s principal shareholders
are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space
& Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL). For more information,
visit www.telesat.com.
Media contacts:
KWT Global for Telesattelesat@kwtglobal.com
Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor
This news release contains statements that are
not based on historical fact and are ''forward-looking statements''
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. When used in this news release, the words “will”, “can”,
“are expected,” or other variations of these words or other similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and
information. Actual results may differ materially from the
expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements
as a result of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Detailed
information about some of the known risks and uncertainties is
included in the "Risk Factors" sections of Telesat Canada's Annual
Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and
in Telesat Canada’s Quarterly Report on Form 6-K for the quarters
ending March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020, all
of which can be obtained from the SEC website.
Known risks and uncertainties include but are
not limited to: risks associated with operating satellites and
providing satellite services, including satellite construction or
launch delays, launch failures, in-orbit failures or impaired
satellite performance, the impact of COVID-19 on Telesat’s business
and the economic environment, the ability to successfully deploy an
advanced global LEO satellite constellation, the availability of
government and/or other funding for the LEO satellite
constellation, the receipt of proceeds in relation to the
re-allocation of C-band spectrum, volatility in exchange rates, the
ability to expand our existing satellite utilization and risks
associated with domestic and foreign government regulation. The
foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. The
information contained in this news release reflects Telesat's
beliefs, assumptions, intentions, plans and expectations as of the
date of this news release. Except as required by law, Telesat
disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise the
information herein.
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