Canada Awards Telesat $1.6B Contract for Arctic Military Satellite Communications Canada has awarded Telesat a 2.3-billion Canadian dollar ($1.6 billion) contract under the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project–Polar (ESCP-P) to deliver secure satellite communications for the Canadian Armed Forces across the Arctic. The 15-year agreement will provide Military Ka-band (Mil-Ka) connectivity beginning in 2028 and includes two optional five-year extensions worth approximately 200 million Canadian dollars ($142 million) each, increasing the potential contract value to 2.7 billion Canadian dollars ($1.92 billion). The deal, Telesat’s largest to date, expands its planned Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation from 156 to 225 satellites by funding 69 additional spacecraft. Manufactured by MDA Space in Montreal and launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, the expanded network will deliver secure, low-latency communications across Arctic latitudes between 65° and 90° north while supporting interoperability with NATO allies and commercial users. The broader ESCP-P program will also include ground infrastructure, user terminals, training, and support services under a separate contract.
