Telesat to add 500 MHz of military Ka-band (Mil-Ka) spectrum to the initial 156 satellites in the Telesat Lightspeed constellation to meet the fast-growing global requirements of allied defence users.
“We’re seeing very significant global demand for a Mil‑Ka LEO satellite capability as governments respond to recent geopolitical developments and recognize the clear operational advantages offered by advanced LEO constellations,” Telesat’s President and CEO, Dan Goldberg, stated.
Mil-Ka is immediately adjacent to the commercial Ka-band spectrum used by Telesat Lightspeed, which allows the change to be made without adversely impacting schedule and with only a modest impact on program cost.
“The addition of Mil-Ka to Telesat Lightspeed will result in a substantial increase to the current global supply of Mil-Ka capacity. Moreover, by integrating it with the already highly advanced Telesat Lightspeed network, the Telesat Mil-Ka capability is expected to have meaningfully superior performance characteristics relative to the Mil-Ka platforms that allied governments have historically relied upon. This is an important development and one that underscores Telesat’s decades-long commitment to support the mission critical requirements of allied defence users," Goldberg said.
The 500 MHz of Mil-Ka will replace the same amount of commercial Ka-band spectrum on the network’s user link, with the gateway link being unaffected by the spectrum change.
Governments have long relied on geostationary (GEO) Mil‑Ka systems to meet their most mission critical satellite communications requirements.
More recently, and as a result of evolving operational requirements, advances in technology, and a significant increase in defence spending by NATO members and other allied governments, military planners are advancing satellite communications programs that leverage the advantages of distributed, resilient, high throughput, low‑latency LEO networks.
Telesat Lightspeed was designed from inception to meet the security and resiliency requirements of defence organisations, and the addition of interoperable Mil-Ka connectivity further enhances its ability to support rapidly expanding defence and sovereignty requirements.
Military satcom architectures require interoperability across national networks, enabling coalition partners to integrate capabilities, share mission‑critical connectivity, and maintain assured communications under joint operational command.
The first two Telesat Lightspeed production satellites will be launched in December 2026, followed by a high cadence launch schedule throughout 2027.