Canada ties up with Telesat for largest-ever space programme

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a funding agreement with Telesat to complete and operate Lightspeed, one of the world's most innovative satellite networks.

As a low-Earth-orbit satellite network, it will take less time to send and receive information and accelerate the federal government's work to connect all Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2030

With a loan of 2.14 billion Canadian dollars (US$1.57 billion) from the federal government, Telesat Lightspeed will be Canada's largest-ever space programme, the Prime Minister said in a press note.

Telesat Lightspeed will expand Internet and 5G networks in communities across Canada, reports Xinhua news agency.

As a low-Earth-orbit satellite network, it will take less time to send and receive information and accelerate the federal government's work to connect all Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2030.

The network will also help the government of Canada bolster its satellite communications technology and support the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernisation.

The programme is already underway, with the first of an initial 198 low-Earth-orbit satellites scheduled to launch in 2026, according to the press note.

Established as a Crown corporation in 1969, Telesat is now a Canada-controlled and publicly traded corporation, and one of the world's largest and most innovative satellite operators.