Canadian satellite operator Telesat and London, U.K.-based Avanti Communications announced Wednesday the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaboratively test and develop low Earth orbit (LEO) services as part of Avanti’s global strategy to deliver multi-orbit solutions to customers at scale.
Under the agreement, Avanti plans to incorporate Telesat’s Lightspeed LEO services into its network “to provide affordable, high quality broadband connectivity worldwide” to its enterprise and government customers, a press release says.
Expected to be operational in 2027, Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation will be composed of 198 state-of-the-art LEO satellites that are seamlessly integrated with on-ground networks, the release says.
“Avanti is investing heavily in strategic partnerships and its managed services to meet customers’ requirements in an evolving industry where demand for capacity is growing,” the release reads. “Avanti’s first low-latency LEO constellation agreement will support the execution of Avanti’s new strategy, which is built on a ‘customer pull’ vs. ‘technology push’ model.”
“Avanti has already transformed into a customer-led business and will now embark on the next phase of its journey to meet customers’ requirements with multi-orbit solutions tailored to individual needs,” Toby Robinson, chief of strategy and business development at Avanti, said in the release. “The Telesat Lightspeed service will specifically target our enterprise and government customers, enabling us to deliver on our commitment to cater to the most complex requirements while maintaining the high performance, reliability and quality of service our customers expect.”
In addition, under the terms of the agreement, Telesat will explore combining Avanti’s landing stations, points of presence (POPs), terrestrial connectivity, site hosting and management services as part of its global terrestrial infrastructure that integrates with the Telesat Lightspeed satellite network.
“We are delighted to work with partners like Avanti, who recognize the unique value and innovation that Telesat Lightspeed provides for resilient, global connectivity,” said Glenn Katz, chief commercial officer at Telesat. “Integration of Avanti’s EMEA terrestrial infrastructure into the Telesat Lightspeed network provides promising synergies and optimizations for both organizations.”
