HANOVER – The Ontario government announced today it is investing over $109 million in Telesat Lightspeed, Telesat’s next-generation Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, to help meet the province’s connectivity needs.
“Telesat Lightspeed is the largest space program ever undertaken in Canada and represents a $6.5 billion capital investment by Telesat,” according to an Ontario government press release.
“Ontario’s investment secures dedicated high-speed satellite bandwidth for local internet service providers to purchase at reduced rates, enabling them to provide affordable, high-speed connectivity services, including LTE and 5G, to various communities across the province.”
The province expects the satellite network to go into service during the first half of 2024.
A Telesat press release indicates the company will, as part of this partnership, “increase its Ontario-based staff by approximately 35%, growing to approximately 400 highly-skilled jobs, and invest $20 million in capital expenditures for expansion of its Ontario facilities.” This includes investments in “a new gateway landing station at Telesat’s Allan Park teleport near Handover, ON, as well as the expansion of the company’s corporate headquarters in Ottawa, ON, where the majority of its staff will be located.”
An Ontario government spokesperson confirmed by email to Cartt.ca the $109 million from the government for Telesat Lightspeed is new money being invested, and is outside of the previously announced $4 billion to help bring high-speed Internet to everyone in the province by the end of 2025.
