TAMPA, Fla. — Geostationary operator Viasat has signed a contract to use the low Earth orbit constellation Telesat plans to start deploying next year to help counter competition from SpaceX’s satellites in LEO.
Canada-based Telesat described the multi-year contract as substantial in an April 7 news release, but the companies declined to provide financial details.
The operator has so far disclosed a revenue backlog of 600 million Canadian dollars ($419 million) for Lightspeed, mostly from a commitment from Canada’s federal government.
However, Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg recently said it is very likely commitments for Lightspeed this year will exceed 1.1 billion Canadian dollars, which the company recorded for its geostationary business at the end of 2024.
The Viasat deal comes shortly after Telesat announced small customer agreements for Lightspeed with Norwegian satellite operator Space Norway, as well as telcos Orange (France) and ADN Telecom (Bangladesh).
Starting in mid-2026, SpaceX is under contract for 14 launches to deploy all 198 Lightspeed satellites within a year.
Multi-orbit plans
Viasat last year secured a similar capacity deal with France-based Eutelsat’s LEO constellation OneWeb, which launched partial services in 2023 as it works through ground issues hindering global coverage.
However, the OneWeb contract only covers maritime services.
The Lightspeed deal spans maritime, aviation, government and enterprise connectivity, according to a Viasat spokesperson.
SpaceX has been building traction in these markets after initially launching Starlink commercially five years ago to provide low-latency LEO broadband for residential consumers, increasing pressure on Viasat, Telesat, Eutelsat, and other legacy geostationary operators.
According to these operators, combining the global reach of geostationary satellites with the low-latency benefits of LEO will give them an edge over Starlink in non-consumer markets that prioritize resiliency and flexibility.
Viasat said its existing GM-40 antennas, already installed on thousands of aircraft, will be compatible with the Telesat Lightspeed network when it becomes operational in late 2027.
The U.S.-based company said it also plans to upgrade to electronically steerable antennas to fully leverage Lightspeed’s capabilities.
