MARKHAM, ON – Xplornet’s new 4G broadband satellite launched successfully on Thursday and is on its way to being stationed in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 35,786 km.
Xplornet purchased 100% of the satellite’s Canadian Ka-band capacity from Telesat. Known as ViaSat-1, the bird is designed to provide more than 100 gigabits per second throughput, making it among the highest capacity satellites ever deployed. It will be positioned at 115.1 degrees West longitude with 63 Ka-band spot beams over the United States and nine over Canada.
"This is an historic launch. The technology is revolutionary. Our investment of hundreds of millions in rural broadband infrastructure is unprecedented. And Canada is now joining a group of other regions, like the UK, the U.S., and Europe, that have endorsed 4G satellite broadband as the solution for ensuring 100% access to affordable broadband", said Xplornet CEO John Maduri, in a statement.
The satellite service is expected to be available to Canadians late this year. For more details, including footage of the launch, click here.
