Telesat Pivots Lightspeed Toward Defense as Delays Push Global Service to 2028

Telesat pivots Lightspeed toward defense as delays push global service to 2028

Telesat plans to carve out 25% of its Lightspeed broadband constellation for military Ka-band as the program’s latest delay pushes global service into early 2028, creating more room to align the design with shifting geopolitical priorities. The post Telesat pivots Lightspeed toward defense as delays push global service to 2028 appeared first on SpaceNews.

Telesat adds military Ka-band to Telesat Lightspeed to meet strong global demand for defence and sovereignty requirements

OTTAWA, Canada, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT), one of the world’s largest and most innovative satellite operators, today announced it is adding 500 MHz

Lightspeed Slips, Shifts Capacity to Mil-Ka

Full global availability of the Telesat Lightspeed constellation schedule slipped into 2028, owing to hardware production issues.

Telesat: 2 Lightspeed sats, w/ mil-Ka-band, launch in December, 96 in orbit by end-2027; commercial service in spring 2028

LA PLATA, Maryland — Telesat is adding 500 MHz of military-Ka-band capacity to its future Lightspeed constellation, reducing the network’s commercial Ka-band capacity by that amount to capture the “once in a generation” growth in demand for mil-Ka by governments, the company said. The decision, which affects 25% of Lightspeed’s total spectrum, will not force any delays in satellite production at Lightspeed prime contractor MDA Space, which was i…

Telesat Adds Military Ka-band To Telesat Lightspeed To Meet Strong Defence Demand

OTTAWA — On Mar. 17 Telesat announced it is adding 500 MHz of military Ka-band (Mil-Ka) spectrum to the initial 156 satellites in the Telesat Lightspeed constellation to meet the growing global requirements of allied defence users. Per a Mar. 17 press release, Mil-Ka is immediately adjacent to the commercial Ka-band spectrum used by Telesat Lightspeed. The 500 MHz of Mil-Ka will replace the same amount of commercial Ka-band spectrum on the netwo…