Telesat LEO ULC, a subsidiary of Telesat Corporation, has reached an agreement in principle with the Defence Investment Agency to provide secure Military Ka-band connectivity for the Canadian Armed Forces. The service relies on the Telesat Lightspeed low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation to support the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P) program, which aims to supply communications infrastructure across the Arctic.
The agreement stems from a strategic partnership signed in late 2025 between the Defence Investment Agency, Telesat and MDA Space. The ESCP-P program is a multi-billion dollar initiative intended to close a longstanding gap in high-latitude military connectivity. Telesat will deliver a comprehensive communications package spanning the Canadian North all the way to 90 degrees North latitude. This agreement covers end-to-end network integration, meaning Telesat will supply the required user terminals, ground and control infrastructure, and training for military personnel.
“By leveraging commercial innovation and investments, Canada will accelerate access to secure, advanced, resilient and sovereign connectivity while driving meaningful cost efficiencies in program delivery,” said Dan Goldberg, Telesat president and chief executive officer. “Telesat Lightspeed will help strengthen the CAF’s ability to maintain persistent communications, operational awareness and mission success across the strategically vital Arctic domain.”
Reliable satellite-based communications in the Arctic are essential for maintaining national sovereignty and supporting domestic and continental defence operations. The Defence Investment Agency utilized a strategic partnership model for this procurement to bypass traditional contracting delays and tap directly into the domestic space supply chain. The military issued its first request for information for the polar communications project back in 2017. The recent formation of the Defence Investment Agency has accelerated the process significantly.
Earlier in 2026, Telesat altered its Lightspeed constellation design to dedicate a portion of its capacity to the Military Ka-band spectrum. This engineering pivot was specifically designed to capture sovereign defence contracts. Because the military spectrum sits adjacent to commercial frequencies, the company integrated the capability without disrupting its production schedule.
Telesat and the federal government expect to finalize a contract in the coming weeks. The company confirmed that this defence agreement will not alter the deployment schedule for the broader Lightspeed global service. Initial satellite launches are scheduled for late 2026, and full commercial operations remain on track for the first quarter of 2028.