Telesat invests US$5 million in Farcast to develop fully integrated User Terminals for Telesat Lightspeed satellite network
Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT) announced an expanded partnership with Farcast and a US$5 million equity investment to support development of fully integrated Flat Panel Antenna (FPA) User Terminals for the Telesat Lightspeed network.
Farcast will deliver an enterprise-class, full-duplex FPA with proprietary AESA technology integrated with the Telesat Lightspeed modem and will take a seat on Farcast’s board. Various hardware iterations have been built and tested, and terminals ready for volume production are planned for 2027.
Telesat (Nasdaq e TSX: TSAT) ha annunciato una partnership espansa con Farcast e un investimento azionario di 5 milioni di dollari statunitensi per supportare lo sviluppo di terminali utente integrati completamente con Antenna a pannello piatto (FPA) per la rete Telesat Lightspeed.
Farcast fornirà un FPA enterprise-class, a pieno duplex, con tecnologia AESA proprietaria integrata al modem Telesat Lightspeed e siederà nel consiglio di Farcast. Sono state realizzate e testate diverse iterazioni hardware, e i terminali pronti per la produzione in volume sono previsti per 2027.
Telesat (Nasdaq y TSX: TSAT) anunció una asociación ampliada con Farcast y una inversión de capital de 5 millones de USD para apoyar el desarrollo de terminales de usuario de antena plana (FPA) totalmente integrados para la red Telesat Lightspeed.
Farcast suministrará un FPA de clase empresarial, a dúplex completo, con tecnología AESA propietaria integrada en el módem de Telesat Lightspeed y ocupará un puesto en la junta de Farcast. Se han construido y probado varias iteraciones de hardware, y se planea que los terminales listos para producción en volumen estén para 2027.
Telesat(Nasdaq 및 TSX: TSAT)은 Farcast와의 파트너십 확장과 미화 500만 달러의 지분 투자를 발표하여 Telesat Lightspeed 네트워크용 완전 통합형 평판 패널 안테나(FPA) 사용자 단말 개발을 지원합니다.
Farcast는 Telesat Lightspeed 모뎀과 통합된 독점 AESA 기술을 갖춘 엔터프라이즈급 풀 듀플렉스 FPA를 제공하고 Farcast 이사회에 자리를 갖게 됩니다. 다양한 하드웨어 버전이 개발·테스트되었으며 대량 생산에 적합한 단말은 2027에 계획되어 있습니다.
Telesat (Nasdaq et TSX: TSAT) a annoncé un partenariat élargi avec Farcast et une mise de fonds en actions de 5 millions de dollars US pour soutenir le développement de terminaux utilisateur à antenne plate entièrement intégrés (FPA) pour le réseau Telesat Lightspeed.
Farcast livrera un FPA de niveau entreprise, duplex intégral, avec une technologie AESA propriétaire intégrée au modem Telesat Lightspeed et siègera au conseil d’administration de Farcast. Plusieurs itérations matérielles ont été construites et testées, et les terminaux prêts pour une production en série sont prévus pour 2027.
Telesat (Nasdaq und TSX: TSAT) kündigte eine erweiterte Partnerschaft mit Farcast und eine US$5 Millionen Aktieninvestition an, um die Entwicklung voll integrierter Flachbildantennen-Terminals (FPA) für das Telesat Lightspeed-Netzwerk zu unterstützen.
Farcast wird ein unternehmensklassiges, vollduplexes FPA mit proprietärer AESA-Technologie liefern, das in das Telesat Lightspeed-Modem integriert ist und im Farcast-Vorstand sitzen wird. Verschiedene Hardware-Iterationen wurden entwickelt und getestet, und Terminals, die für die Serienproduktion bereit sind, sind für 2027 geplant.
تيلسات (ناسداك و TSX: TSAT) أعلنت عن شراكة موسّعة مع Farcast واستثماراً نقدياً بمقدار 5 ملايين دولار أمريكي لدعم تطوير أجهزة طرفية للمستخدمين بانتينا ذات لوحة مسطحة (FPA) كاملة الدمج لشبكة تيلسات Lightspeed.
ستقدّم Farcast FPA من فئة الشركات، مزدوجة التوجيه بالكامل، مع تكنولوجيا AESA مملوكة ومتكاملة مع مودم Lightspeed من تيلسات وستتولى مقعداً في مجلس إدارة Farcast. تم بناء واختبار عدة تكرارات من الأجهزة، وتخطّط لتوافر طرفيات جاهزة للإنتاج على نطاق واسع في 2027.
- US$5 million equity investment in Farcast
- Board seat secured to align Farcast with Telesat Lightspeed
- Full-duplex AESA FPA integrated with Telesat Lightspeed modem
- Terminals targeted for volume production in 2027
- Reduced SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, Cost) from single-aperture FPA
- Commercial terminal availability not planned until 2027
Insights
Telesat's US$5 million equity stake and terminal integration deal accelerates Lightspeed customer hardware availability and supply-chain alignment.
By investing
Outcomes depend on Farcast validating its single-aperture AESA FPA at production scale and meeting performance and reliability standards already demonstrated in prototypes. Key risks include successful scaling from tested iterations to mass production, supply-chain and manufacturing execution, and achieving integration milestones without feature or schedule slippage.
Watch for delivery and certification milestones for fully integrated terminals and production readiness announcements toward
OTTAWA and SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT), one of the world’s largest and most innovative satellite operators, today announced an expanded relationship with Farcast, a San Francisco-based startup that is building advanced satellite User Terminals. Under the new agreement, Farcast will deliver an enterprise-class Flat Panel Antenna (FPA) User Terminal that is fully integrated with the Telesat Lightspeed modem and ready for volume production. Additionally, Telesat is making a US
Farcast has developed a unique technology that can simultaneously transmit and receive data from the same aperture in an FPA. This proprietary Active Electronically Scanned Antenna (AESA) technology uses electronic beam scanning to compensate for the movement of satellites and users, and the single-aperture, full-duplex FPA results in reduced Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C). This competitive SWaP-C will further enhance the value proposition for Telesat Lightspeed customers, delivering superior enterprise-class performance worldwide.
Telesat and Farcast have worked together since 2022 on a pre-production development program to ensure Farcast’s technology reaches the maturity level required to operate on the Telesat Lightspeed network. As a prerequisite for this new agreement and equity investment with Telesat LEO ULC, various iterations of the hardware have been built and successfully tested. The availability of terminals that are fully integrated with Telesat Lightspeed modem is planned for 2027.
“Throughout prototype development, we’ve seen firsthand Farcast’s innovative approach to extending satellite communications capability and reach through small form factor FPAs that deliver outstanding performance,” said Michel Forest, Chief Technology Officer for Telesat. “We see value not only in what Farcast can provide for Telesat’s telecom and enterprise customers, but also the wider satellite industry for mass-produced, high-performing terminals, including aviation and defence applications.”
“Our collaboration with Telesat has been a cornerstone of our journey to date. By working hand in hand, we are developing FPA technology that will meet the stringent performance and reliability requirements to ensure mission-critical connectivity for Telesat’s customers,” said Siamak Ebadi, founder and CEO of Farcast. “We believe partnerships like this are vital to creating an open, collaborative satellite ecosystem—one that drives innovation and expands access.”
About Telesat
Backed by a legacy of engineering excellence, reliability and industry-leading customer service, Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT) is one of the largest and most innovative global satellite operators. Telesat works collaboratively with its customers to deliver critical connectivity solutions that tackle the world’s most complex communications challenges, providing powerful advantages that improve their operations and drive profitable growth.
Continuously innovating to meet the connectivity demands of the future, Telesat Lightspeed, the company’s state-of-the-art Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, has been optimized to meet the rigorous requirements of telecom, government, maritime and aeronautical customers. Telesat Lightspeed will redefine global satellite connectivity with ubiquitous, affordable, high-capacity, secure and resilient links with fibre-like speeds. For updates on Telesat, follow us on LinkedIn, X, or visit www.telesat.com.
About Farcast
Farcast is a San Francisco-based technology company founded in 2019, specializing in high-performance satellite communication user terminals engineered for optimal SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) efficiency. Developed through years of close collaboration with leading industry partners, Farcast’s terminals are purpose-built to meet real-world operational and network demands while enabling scalable deployment across diverse markets.
By cultivating deep relationships across the satellite ecosystem and designing its products for broad interoperability, Farcast consolidates demand from a wide range of customers—unlocking production volumes that drive significant cost efficiencies. With development and pre-production phases successfully completed, the company is now entering its production ramp in 2026, with full-scale manufacturing slated for 2027.
To date, Farcast has secured
Media Contacts:
W2 Communications for Telesat
telesat@w2comm.com
Siamak Ebadi for Farcast
siamak@farcast.com
Telesat 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 “will,” “can,” “ensure,” “planned” 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. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information as a result of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. 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 in the event facts or circumstances subsequently change after the date of this news release.
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 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 or forecasted in the forward-looking statements and forward looking information.
Known risks and uncertainties 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 and refinance our GEO debt, 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 Telesat Corporation’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 that was filed on March 27, 2025 with the SEC and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval+ (“SEDAR+”), and may be accessed on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+’s website at www.sedarplus.ca.
FAQ
What did Telesat (TSAT) announce on November 4, 2025 about Farcast?
How will the Farcast terminals integrate with Telesat Lightspeed (TSAT)?
When are Telesat-compatible Farcast terminals expected to be available for customers?
How much did Telesat invest in Farcast and will Telesat take governance influence?
What technical advantage does Farcast’s FPA bring to Telesat Lightspeed customers?
