A joint venture backed by the French and U.K. governments is proposing a $250-million initiative to supply the Canadian military with secure satellite broadband coverage in the Arctic, as revealed by CBC News. Eutelsat, a competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink, currently offers some services to the Canadian military and seeks to enhance this collaboration as Canada aims to diversify defense contracts beyond U.S. suppliers.
French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly introduced a proposal to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during last year’s G7 summit in Alberta, suggesting that Canada’s Department of National Defence join an initiative involving Eutelsat led by the French Ministry of Defence. Prime Minister Carney’s initial concern, as per Eutelsat and French defense officials, was the potential impact on Telesat Corporation, a Canadian entity privatized in the 1990s.
Telesat is progressing with its Lightspeed system, a network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for high-speed broadband. Recently, the Liberal government announced a strategic partnership with Telesat and MDA Space to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) capabilities.
Eutelsat already operates its satellite network in partnership with Canadian entities, supporting Canadian military operations in Latvia. David van Dyke, Eutelsat’s Canadian general manager, emphasized the provision of a “sovereign capacity capability” to Canada, ensuring exclusive ownership of the satellite capacity in the Far North or other required regions. This approach aims to prevent potential service disruptions due to political influences, referencing reports of Musk ordering a shutdown of Starlink in Ukraine during a critical military operation in September 2022.
Although Starlink has a significant customer base in Canada and has been vital for broadband access in remote regions, Musk’s affiliations with the U.S. government have led to reduced enthusiasm. Ontario terminated a $100-million contract with Starlink due to trade disputes with the U.S., while Eutelsat faced challenges with U.S. government contracts under the Trump administration.
Eutelsat’s pitch to Canada emphasizes the importance of reliable defense partnerships and control over secure systems and data. The company aims to support Canadian initiatives such as NORAD modernization projects and defense expansion in northern regions. Van Dyke highlighted the readiness of Eutelsat to provide the necessary satellite capacity for these endeavors, awaiting the Canadian government’s decision to proceed with the partnership.
