Telesat Canada
Telesat is Canada's premier satellite services provider, with sixteen satellites in service and a ground network of teleports and earth station facilities throughout Canada and around the world.
ID: 087622538798-35
Lobbying Activity
Response to EU Space-based secure connectivity
23 Sept 2021
Telesat welcomes the opportunity to comment on this Inception Impact Assessment on the Establishment of a EU Space-based Global Secure Connectivity System issued by DEFIS, and applauds the EU’s initiative to consult on the optimal pathway to do so.
Around the world, we are witnessing an exponential growth in demand for affordable high-speed connectivity and a continued, rapid digital transformation that only increasingly calls for connectivity with greater speeds, capacity, coverage, flexibility, and resiliency. At the same time, the proliferation of advanced next generation LEO constellations represents a tremendous opportunity to not only bridge the digital divide globally and meet modern digital requirements but also harness the immense economic, technological and strategic benefits that stem from building these constellations.
With over 50 years of operating experience, Telesat has grown into one of the world’s largest and most innovative satellite operators providing reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions to broadcast, telecom and government customers globally.
Telesat is now undertaking one of the most ambitious, innovative and advanced space programs ever conceived: a state-of-the-art next generation satellite constellation initially consisting of 298 satellites in low earth orbit known as Telesat Lightspeed. This advanced network will be the world’s most technologically capable LEO constellation, leveraging highly advanced satellite architecture and next generation technologies including optical inter-satellite links, in-space data processing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Operating under Telesat’s global Ka-band priority spectrum rights, Lightspeed has been optimized to serve the fast-growing broadband connectivity requirements of fixed and mobile network operators, aeronautical and maritime users, enterprise customers and governments.
Earlier this year, Telesat announced that it selected European leader, Thales Alenia Space, as its prime manufacturer and that it would be investing over US$ 3 billion directly into EU member countries over the coming years. This investment will result in the development of next generation technologies and manufacturing capabilities in Europe, including the highly strategic optical inter-satellite links and in-space data processing, as well as employing over 1,500 Europeans through the development and manufacture of Telesat Lightspeed.
Through this investment with TAS, the EU will benefit from substantial high technology and high-quality job creation at a time when investment and job creation have never been more critical. This project also involves the development of valuable intellectual property in the burgeoning New Space Economy, assuring European aerospace companies a leading role in this highly strategic sector. The global space race for LEO constellations is well underway, and Telesat Lightspeed presents a tremendous opportunity to be a key partner in Europe’s own EU Space-based Global Secure Connectivity System.
Given the vast opportunities and strategic nature of Lightspeed, Telesat has struck significant partnerships, with the Governments of Canada, Quebec and Ontario supporting the program. There exists an opportunity for the EU, Telesat and European industry participants, to join in an effort to partner and deliver a dedicated European Global LEO Network to deliver fibre-quality, low latency and secure connectivity to European institutions, governments and individuals lacking such connectivity, both within Europe and around the world. A partnership of this nature would provide the EU a unique opportunity to have a European Space-based Global Secure Connectivity System in the most expeditious, lowest risk and financially responsible manner, while ensuring control and sovereignty to the EU and its end users and fulfilling all of the expected outcomes of this initiative.
Please see attachment for Telesat's full comments.
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