Overview
- Ottawa awarded a C$2.92 million engineering and options analysis contract for the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar under the new Defence Investment Agency.
- ESCP‑P seeks secure wideband and narrowband connectivity across the Arctic to support Canadian sovereignty missions, NORAD obligations, surveillance and search-and-rescue.
- The procurement is reported to exceed C$5 billion and will apply Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits policy to drive domestic work, including for small and medium-sized firms.
- Timelines vary across sources, with references to delivery by 2035 and parliamentary documents citing initial service in 2037 and full capability by 2041, as National Defence looks to accelerate.
- Constellation architecture, orbits and frequencies are still under study, and separate commercial LEO plans by Telesat are progressing to provide Arctic broadband for government and enterprise customers.