Canada-based Telesat inked an agreement with SpaceX to launch low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in 2026, as it moves to provide commercial global broadband services in late 2027.

Telesat booked 14 launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which will each carry up to 18 Lightspeed satellites.

Dan Goldberg, Telesat president and CEO, stated the latest constellation is the most ambitious in company’s 54-year history. He explained the company previously used SpaceX for the launch of geostationary satellites.

The company stated the optically connected network would provide multi-Gb/s data rates and low-latency broadband connectivity.

It signed an agreement with MDA for the construction of 198 birds last month.

Alongside the SpaceX deal, Telesat announced it is fully funded through a combination of its own equity contribution, vendor financing and financial commitments from Canadian authorities.