OTTAWA – Telesat has given its thumbs up to last week’s announcement that earmarked $50 million in federal funding to improve high-speed Internet access in Nunavut.
The global satellite operator revealed that Bell Canada has signed a 15-year contract for substantially all of the HTS spot beam capacity over northern Canada on its new Telstar 19 Vantage satellite that is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2018. Bell Canada subsidiary Northwestel will use the capacity to enhance broadband connectivity for communities in Nunavut.
Telesat said that once operational, Telstar 19 Vantage will have six distinct coverages over the Americas and North Atlantic and the most capacity in Gbps of any satellite in Telesat’s fleet.
“Telesat applauds the determined steps the Government of Canada is taking to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to rural and remote communities across Canada,” said Telesat president and CEO Dan Goldberg, in the news release. “Minister Bains' important announcement will transform the way people in the Far North participate in the digital economy and Telesat is pleased that the substantial investment we have made in the state-of-the-art Telstar 19 VANTAGE satellite will be a core component in the delivery of advanced Internet services to these communities. Telstar 19 VANTAGE is optimized to efficiently support a range of broadband applications that will substantially improve the lives of Canadians, including e-commerce, distance education and connecting with family and friends.”
