TAMPA, Fla. — 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 Canadian operator announced plans March 17 to add 500 megahertz of Mil-Ka to Lightspeed's initial 156 satellites, replacing the same amount of commercial Ka-band frequencies on the network's user link.
"The geopolitical environment is driving once-in-a-generation increases in defense investments by allied countries globally," Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said during the company's earnings call, citing growing demand for mission-critical communications from low Earth orbit (LEO).
