18 June 2025

Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat and Canada’s Telesat have announced the signing of a term sheet under which Arabsat will lease multi-gigabit capacity from Telesat’s upcoming Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation.

Building on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year, this term sheet establishes the framework for integrating Telesat Lightspeed’s LEO services into Arabsat’s multi-orbit satellite network. The capacity will be supported by committed information rates (CIRs) and service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring reliable performance.

Both companies expect to finalize definitive agreements by December 2025.

Telesat Lightspeed is envisioned as a constellation of 198 LEO satellites, primarily targeting enterprise and government sectors. Telesat has booked 14 launches with SpaceX to begin deploying satellites in the middle of next year, with plans to complete the entire constellation by mid-2027.

Arabsat’s President and CEO, Alhamedi Alanezi, stated that incorporating Lightspeed’s LEO capacity alongside its existing geostationary satellites will enable the delivery of robust, seamless broadband connectivity solutions across enterprise, telecom, government, and mobility markets.

“By offering both LEO and GEO services, as well as integrated multi-orbit solutions, we are paving the way for a new era of connectivity,” said Alanezi. “Multi-orbit satellite systems and terminals will position Arabsat at the forefront of digital transformation—delivering faster, more reliable, and cost-efficient connectivity tailored to the diverse needs of each industry.”

“In addition to the security and reliability inherent in Lightspeed, Arabsat will gain unprecedented flexibility to design, manage, and control services for their customers through Telesat’s interoperable lifecycle orchestration systems,” said Telesat’s President and CEO, Dan Goldberg.