Telesat has acquired sites in Papineauville, Quebec and Estevan, Saskatchewan and leased land in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan to establish three new Lightspeed ground stations. These facilities will route traffic between the LEO satellite constellation and major fibre and internet exchange hubs, laying the groundwork for end-to-end connectivity.

The geographically diverse station locations are designed to improve network redundancy and performance, support sovereign digital services, and extend high-speed broadband reach across Canada’s Arctic and northern territories. This infrastructure is a critical component of Telesat’s strategy to bridge the digital divide and stimulate domestic economic growth.

Site preparation is underway, with the Quebec landing station expected online in Q3 2026 and the Saskatchewan stations following by the end of the year. These terrestrial nodes will be fully integrated ahead of Telesat’s first Lightspeed satellite launch scheduled for December 2026.