MDA Space wants to build a new Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite constellation of 170 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) according to an advance-publication request with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) filed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) on behalf of the company. ISED, as the administrator of Canada’s spectrum file with the ITU.
The Brampton, Ont.-based space company laid out the plan, which it calls SpaceRAN, in a subsequent July 13 filing with ISED in response to a consultation the department opened May 13 on the future of mobile satellite service spectrum in the L- and S-bands.
MDA describes SpaceRAN in its own filing as a mission it can “confidently lead, build, execute and operate,” a step beyond MDA’s traditional role building satellites and robotics for other companies’ constellations and government programs.
Their pitch is straightforward and will resonate in the current global political climate: a direct-to-device (D2D) satellite network built and controlled by a Canadian company, using spectrum MDA is asking ISED to make available for it.
How it would work
MDA’s filing sets out a two-phase build. An initial 96-satellite constellation, targeted for 2029, that would fly in two orbital planes — inclined at 54 and 74 degrees — delivering full coverage of Canada plus partial global coverage across a band roughly between 41 and 83 degrees north latitude. A second phase would add a third, lower-inclination plane and bring the constellation to 170 satellites, extending coverage worldwide.
The public ITU record shows a constellation of 170 satellites in circular 750-kilometre orbits, with a bring-into-use deadline of Jan. 15, 2033, the standard seven-year clock that starts on an advance publication.
On spectrum, MDA’s ask is asking to use the AWS-4 S-band, 2000–2020 MHz and 2180–2200 MHz, a paired 20-megahertz allocation. The company’s filing says it is “primarily interested in S-Band” and defers to existing L-band and Big LEO band operators on spectrum outside that range.
How MDA is framing the business
MDA has said little publicly about SpaceRAN beyond the ISED filing itself. The one exception came Aug. 7, when chief executive Mike Greenley fielded a question about SpaceRAN on MDA’s second-quarter earnings call.
Greenley was direct that SpaceRAN isn’t a funding commitment: “It is not in our pipeline,” he told analysts, referring to MDA’s reported roughly $40-billion order pipeline. “Investors should not assume this will represent a large investment for MDA Space, as it is expected to be funded through partnerships with other very capable parties.” He described SpaceRAN as “a collaborative initiative led by MDA Space but involving a consortium of Canadian partners,” and, separately, as “a strong business opportunity for the company, adding a new line of business to our offering.”
In a follow-on story we’ll dive deeper into why MDA would pursue this idea, and what others had to say.