Telesat has announced plans to build a new Telesat campus in Gatineau, West Quebec; across the Ottawa River from Ottawa. Due to open in the fourth quarter of 2025 and bring 300 new jobs to the area, the $25 million facility will support Telesat’s $6.5 billion Telesat Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network.
According to the company, Telesat Lightspeed will cover the globe with 198 state-of-the-art LEO broadband satellites integrated with on-ground data networks. The first of Telesat Lightspeed’s 198 LEOs are scheduled for launch in 2026. In 2023, MDA Space was chosen as the prime satellite contractor for the constellation’s 198 satellites. They are being built using the MDA AURORA platform, which is that company’s new software-defined digital satellite product line.
The new Gatineau campus will host Telesat Lightspeed’s network operations centre, satellite control centre and cybersecurity operation centre. It will also house a state-of-the-art engineering development facility to support the deployment of this new global LEO fleet.
“The Telesat Lightspeed satellite program is well under way, and we’re excited to establish our technical operations campus in Quebec, home to world-class space talent and expertise,” said Telesat President and CEO Dan Goldberg. “Telesat Lightspeed will deliver secure, global, high-throughput, low-latency broadband connectivity to eliminate digital deserts across Canada, in the Arctic and around the world, and provide resilient connectivity for our Canadian Armed Forces and our allies.”
The fact that Telesat Canada is projected to bring 300 new well-paying jobs to Gatineau is good news for the federal and Quebec governments, which have loaned $2.14 billion and $400 million to Telesat respectively to support the development of Telesat Lightspeed. Telesat has also committed to investing more than over $4.4 billion in the Canadian economy over the next 15 years, including the creation of 200 post-secondary co–op jobs and funding $1.6 million in scholarships to students in Canada, with a focus on women in STEM programs.
“The establishment of Telesat’s new campus in Gatineau will play a crucial role in the development and operation of Telesat Lightspeed, a satellite network designed, manufactured and operated right here in Canada,” said Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Gatineau. “This large-scale project will make Gatineau a strategic hub for the space industry, driving innovation, attracting highly skilled talent and strengthening our expertise in this cutting-edge field.”
“High-speed Internet is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity,” added Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. “This new campus will facilitate Telesat’s Lightspeed project, moving us closer to connecting all Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2030 so that they get better access to the services they need, no matter where they live.”
Telesat Lightspeed is expected to provide satellite broadband access to business, industry, and governments worldwide. It will also provide high speed web capacity to Internet service providers to connect residences, businesses and public institutions in remote communities.
