Overview
- Ottawa awarded a CA$2.92 million contract to Telesat, with MDA Space, for engineering and options analysis under the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar.
- Scope of the study includes constellation architecture choices across orbital altitudes and frequency bands to deliver secure connectivity over the North.
- The Defence Investment Agency is running the procurement as a strategic partnership intended to streamline delivery and leverage vendor expertise.
- The program is described as a multi‑billion‑dollar effort to provide wideband and narrowband coverage for CAF missions, NORAD obligations and search‑and‑rescue in the Arctic.
- Budget documents and statements cite differing schedule targets and an effort to accelerate timelines, and Canada will apply its ITB policy to engage domestic suppliers, including SMEs.