Northwestel and Telesat said Thursday they have signed a multi-year contract for the far north service provider to use the satellite operator’s Lightspeed constellation for connectivity in communities across Canada’s north.
Northwestel, which serves 97 communities, said it will use the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide speeds of at least 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload, which is the federal objective, and unlimited monthly data to communities without access to fibre backhaul.
The financials were not disclosed.
Northwestel will use the federal government’s capacity pool, an investment of $600 million to provide service providers with Telesat LEO bandwidth at reduced rates for eligible communities.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to Canadian innovation that directly serves Canadian needs.” Tammy April, vice president of strategic growth at Northwestel, said in a press release. “By partnering with Telesat and leveraging their advanced LEO network, we are investing in domestic technology that strengthens Northern connectivity, supports sovereignty, and delivers reliable broadband where it matters most.”
