Press Releases September 2, 2026 07:30 AM

Farcast completes Telesat Lightspeed antenna technology demonstration milestone

Telesat and Farcast Successfully Demonstrate Advanced LEO Satellite Antenna Technology, Paving Way for Next-Generation Terminal Integration

By Hana Yamamoto
Share
Twitter Reddit Facebook LinkedIn
TSAT

Telesat Corporation and Farcast have completed a successful demonstration of Farcast's electronically steered antenna technology using Telesat's LEO 3 test satellite. This milestone validates Farcast's architecture, which reduces size, weight, power, and cost while maintaining performance, and sets the stage for integrating this technology into a fully functional user terminal for the Telesat Lightspeed network.

Farcast completes Telesat Lightspeed antenna technology demonstration milestone
TSAT
Summarize with
ChatGPT Perplexity Claude Grok Gemini

Key Points

  • Successful over-the-air demonstration confirms Farcast's innovative antenna technology performance with Telesat's LEO satellite.
  • Collaboration enables development of fully integrated user terminals combining Farcast's antenna platform with Telesat Lightspeed modem technology.
  • Advancement supports Telesat's mission to deliver secure, high-performance broadband connectivity across telecom, enterprise, aviation, maritime, and defense sectors.

OTTAWA, Ontario and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telesat LEO ULC, a subsidiary of Telesat Corporation (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT), one of the world’s largest and most innovative satellite operators, and Farcast, a San Francisco-based startup building advanced satellite user terminals, today announced the successful completion of a collaborative technology demonstration program.

Building on their previously announced agreement, the two companies have successfully demonstrated key capabilities of Farcast's electronically steered antenna (ESA) technology through an extensive development and test program. The work validates Farcast's innovative architecture, which reduces hardware complexity without compromising performance and significantly lowers size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C).

The program culminated in an over-the-air demonstration using Telesat's LEO 3 test satellite. Farcast successfully established and maintained end-to-end satellite connectivity through its shared-aperture user terminal, with measured performance closely matching predicted link budgets. The results provide strong validation of the underlying terminal technology. This milestone paves the way for the next phase of the collaboration: the development of a fully integrated user terminal for the Telesat Lightspeed network, bringing together Farcast's antenna platform and the Telesat Lightspeed modem solution.

“The results mark an important step in validating Farcast's underlying antenna technology,” said Michel Forest, Chief Technology Officer for Telesat. “This work provides a strong foundation for the next phase of user terminal integration and development.”

“The progress we’ve made over the past four years is a testament to the incredible teamwork and close collaboration between Telesat and Farcast,” said Siamak Ebadi, founder and CEO of Farcast. “We’re very excited to build on this foundation as we move into modem integration and toward production for Telesat Lightspeed.”

Media Contacts

Monique Scotti for Telesat
[email protected]

Siamak Ebadi for Farcast
[email protected]

About Telesat

Telesat Corporation (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT) (“Telesat”) is a global satellite operator and leader in advanced satellite communications, redefining broadband connectivity through its Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network. Designed from inception for interoperability with enterprise and government applications, Telesat Lightspeed delivers secure, resilient, high-performance broadband connectivity with fibre-like speeds. Its advanced, software-defined architecture operates in both commercial and military Ka-band spectrum, enabling mission-critical communications with enhanced security and protection against evolving threats. Purpose-built to meet the most demanding requirements, Telesat Lightspeed provides telecom, enterprise, aviation, maritime and defence customers with unprecedented flexibility and control to dynamically manage their own services and deliver differentiated, end-to-end connectivity solutions worldwide.

With nearly 60 years of innovation, engineering excellence and a collaborative approach to customer success, Telesat is uniquely positioned to deliver secure, scalable and future-ready connectivity solutions that help customers solve their most complex communications challenges and achieve mission success. For updates on Telesat, follow us on LinkedIn, X, or visit www.telesat.com.

About Farcast

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Farcast develops next-generation electronically steered satellite user terminals designed to significantly reduce size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) while delivering high-performance broadband connectivity. The company’s proprietary phased-array technology simplifies terminal architecture for commercial, enterprise, mobility, government, and defence applications.

Since its founding, Farcast has partnered with industry leaders including Telesat, Viasat, Anuvu, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on technology development programs that have matured and demonstrated its core platform. The company is backed by strategic investors including Telesat, Gogo, and Lockheed Martin and is now focused on transitioning its technology into commercial production for next-generation satellite networks.

Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor

This news release contains statements that are not based on historical fact and are “forward-looking statements’’ and “forward looking information” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws. When used herein, statements which are not historical in nature, or which contain the words “are,” “can,” “validates,” “provide,” or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Telesat or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, provide forward looking information, orally or in writing, which may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and Canadian securities regulatory authorities, and news releases or oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer of Telesat. All statements made in this news release are made only as of the date set forth at the beginning of this news release. Telesat undertakes no obligation to update the statements made in this news release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

These forward-looking statements and this forward-looking information are not guarantees of future performance, are based on Telesat’s current expectations, and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, some of which are beyond Telesat’s control, are difficult to predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, forecasted or implied in the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this news release include, among other things, statements regarding the contemplated collaboration between Telesat LEO ULC and Farcast, the potential interoperability or integration of their respective technologies, the potential capabilities or benefits of any combined solution, and the timing, scope or success of any future activities arising from the collaboration.

Known risks, uncertainties, and assumptions include, but are not limited to: risks associated with financial factors, including swings in the global financial markets, access to capital to construct our LEO satellite constellation, the ability to refinance Telesat GEO Inc.’s debt, the outcome of litigation related to Telesat GEO Inc.’s debt and the 62% equity distribution, volatility of securities values in an industry sector where values may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond Telesat’s control, inflation, rising or prolonged elevated interest rates, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, and tariffs; risks associated with operating satellites and providing satellite services, including satellite construction or launch delays, launch failures, in-orbit failures, impaired satellite performance or dependence on large customers; the ability to deploy successfully an advanced global LEO satellite constellation and the timing of any such deployment; Telesat’s ability to meet the conditions for advance of the loans under the funding agreements for the constellation; technological hurdles, including Telesat’s and Telesat’s contractors’ development and deployment of the new technologies required to complete the constellation in time to meet Telesat’s schedule, or at all; the availability of services and components from Telesat’s and Telesat’s contractors’ supply chains; competition, including with other LEO systems, deployed and yet to be deployed; risks associated with domestic and foreign government regulation, including government restrictions and regulations, access to sufficient orbital spectrum to be able to deliver services effectively and access to sufficient geographic markets in which to sell those services; Telesat’s ability to develop significant commercial and operational capabilities; and the ability to expand Telesat’s existing satellite utilization. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors should review the other risk factors discussed in our filings, including Telesat Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, Quarterly Reports on Form 6-K, and other filings made with the SEC and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval+ (“SEDAR+”), which may be accessed on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+’s website at www.sedarplus.ca.


Risks

  • Potential delays or challenges in integrating and commercializing new antenna and modem technologies may affect deployment schedules.
  • Dependence on global financial markets and capital access could impact Telesat's ability to fund LEO constellation construction and related initiatives.
  • Regulatory uncertainties including spectrum access and geographic market restrictions may hinder service delivery and expansion.

More from Press Releases

Virtuix to Showcase AI-Enabled Counter-Drone Training System to U.S. Army Leaders at Maneuver Warfighter Conference Sep 2, 2026 EXL announces Departure of Vivek Jetley, President and Head of Insurance, Healthcare and Life Sciences Sep 2, 2026 CBAK Energy Highlights Completed Nanjing Phase II Ramp-Up and Accelerating Global Demand Following Investor Conference Sep 2, 2026 Special Committee of Definitive Healthcare Board Confirms Receipt of Going-Private Proposal from Advent International Sep 2, 2026 Reitar’s Jingxing HK and Cainiao Launch Global Strategic Cooperation Sep 2, 2026