Telesat wins major Ontario order
August 9, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Ottawa-based satellite operator Telesat has received a C$109 million (€74m) agreement to provide “futureproof” connectivity using Telesat’s Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit satellites, now under construction.
The order comes from the Government of Ontario which says that it has partnered with Telesat to bridge the digital divide in Ontario by using Telesat Lightspeed.
“This C$109 million agreement will futureproof and diversify Ontario’s connectivity infrastructure, lay the groundwork for continued development and commercialization of Canadian satellite technologies and pave the way for future economic growth and jobs,” says a joint statement.
“Through this 5-year partnership, a dedicated Telesat Lightspeed capacity pool will be made available at substantially reduced rates to Canadian Internet service providers (ISPs), including Indigenous owned and operated ISPs, as well as mobile network operators to expand high-speed Internet and LTE/5G networks to Ontario’s unserved and underserved communities,” the statement adds.
“As part of this partnership, Telesat will increase its Ontario-based staff by approximately 35 percent, growing to approximately 400 highly-skilled jobs, and invest C$20 million in capital expenditures for expansion of its Ontario facilities. Investments include a new gateway landing station at Telesat’s Allan Park teleport near Hanover, Ontario, as well as the expansion of the company’s corporate headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, where the majority of its staff will be located,” Telesat confirmed.
“Access to affordable and reliable high-speed Internet connectivity is essential in today’s digital economy,” said Dan Goldberg, Telesat’s President/CEO. “This partnership with the Government of Ontario will not only achieve the province’s goal of connecting everyone, regardless of where they live, to affordable high-speed Internet, but also positions Ontario at the forefront of the highly strategic New Space Economy through Telesat’s local investments in jobs and technology innovations.”