Telesat acquires land for landing stations

Executive Summary

• Telesat Corp. has acquired land in Estevan and Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, and Papineauville, Quebec, to host new landing stations for its Telesat Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network.
• These facilities are critical for routing data between the satellite network and major terrestrial fibre and Internet exchange points, enhancing network resiliency and performance.
• Site preparation is currently underway, with the Quebec landing station expected to be completed in Q3 2026 and the Saskatchewan sites by the end of the year.

Key Details

• Acquisitions and Leases:
  • Acquired land in Estevan, Saskatchewan.
  • Acquired land in Papineauville, Quebec.
  • Leased land in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.
• Purpose: The sites will serve as landing stations to route data between the Telesat Lightspeed LEO satellite network and major fibre/Internet exchange points.
• Strategic Impact: The geographically diverse locations enhance network resiliency and performance, support sovereign next-generation digital services, and reinforce protection of Arctic and Northern territories.
• Timeline:
  • Site preparation is currently underway.
  • Quebec landing station completion expected in the third quarter of 2026.
  • Saskatchewan sites expected to follow by year-end.
• Context: This infrastructure is part of the global buildout ahead of the first satellite launch scheduled for December.

Notable Quotes

• "Telesat is rapidly advancing the global buildout of the terrestrial infrastructure that will be fully integrated with our LEO satellites, and these Quebec and Saskatchewan sites are playing pivotal roles in that progress," said Asit Tandon, Telesat's chief network and information officer. "These strategically located facilities strengthen connectivity across Canada and contribute to the worldwide terrestrial foundation we are establishing ahead of our first satellite launch in December."