Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for inviting Telesat to participate today.
My name is Michele Beck and I am Telesat's senior vice-president of sales for Canada. With me this morning is Mr. Stephen Hampton, head of public policy and strategic accounts.
Telesat is one of the world's largest and most innovative satellite operators, operating for over 55 years from our headquarters in Ottawa. As a proud Canadian company, we play a central role in Canada's commercial and defence connectivity infrastructure. Today, we connect over seven million households to high-definition television; provide broadband and other lifeline services to rural, remote and indigenous communities; and deliver mission-critical services to Canada's national security and public safety community. We offer these same types of services all around the world.
This study comes at a pivotal time for Canada and our sector. There is a global high stakes space race under way and it is critical to Canada's sovereignty and national security.
Critical sovereign communication, whether in air, at sea, or on the ground, is fundamental to Canada's national security and that of our allies. This can only be achieved through advanced satellite communications networks, specifically, global, ubiquitous, interoperable satellite communications networks that are not only sovereign and secure, but that are also allied by design and capable of delivering joint allied operations in key regions like the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific.
That's why we've undertaken the most ambitious and innovative project in our proud history, a $6-billion state-of-the-art LEO satellite constellation, known as Telesat Lightspeed. It will initially consist of nearly 200 highly advanced satellites and will deliver affordable, secure and resilient fibre-like broadband connectivity and enable 5G everywhere on earth, including all of Canada and the Arctic. It's the largest space program ever conceived in Canada and will shape the domestic space sector for decades to come.
Telesat Lightspeed will be designed, manufactured and operated in Canada. Telesat Lightspeed is a true Canadian flagship program. It will help bridge the global digital divide; create and sustain thousands of high-quality jobs in Canada; spur domestic innovation, investment and exports; and ensure that Canada is at the forefront of the rapidly growing and highly strategic new space economy.
Today's global defence landscape is changing rapidly, both on earth and in space, driven by climate change, new geopolitical dynamics, emerging technologies and rising security threats to our national sovereignty.
The defence of our country and of our geographically strategic areas such as the Arctic is now more important than ever.
To adapt to these changes, governments around the world are placing an increasing emphasis on the role of space in their defence infrastructure. The world space industry has also radically changed since the turn of the century. More dynamic and innovative, it is becoming increasingly critical.
Traditionally, defence projects in space were directed and developed exclusively by government. The pace of technological change was incremental, oftentimes bogged down by procurement processes, cost overruns and a fundamental lack of urgency.
Today, a new space race is emerging with commercial companies developing space-based assets and capabilities for both commercial and defence purposes. Over the past several years, we have seen generational leaps in technological capabilities with many calling this sea change the transition from “old space” to “new”.
As Canada looks toward NORAD modernization and delivering the most advanced technology to its armed forces, it should follow the lead set by the U.S., the U.K. and other countries around the world that have moved beyond the legacy approach of exclusively relying on dedicated government-owned and operated defence systems to meet accelerating threats.
Instead, these governments are working hand in glove with their domestic private sector, leveraging significant commercial investments made in cutting-edge, allied by design, capabilities and are integrating these space-based assets into their defence systems.
Canada is a world leader in satellite communications. We have a clear competitive advantage, and it should be exploited to its fullest. The Government of Canada should look to partner with the space sector to rapidly ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces and our allies have access to the most cutting-edge technologies, like Telesat Lightspeed.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be here. We look forward to your questions.
Thank you.