Telesat and TIM Brasil Partner for First-of-its-Kind LEO Test in Brazil

Mobile performance tests over Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite validate the potential for Telesat Lightspeed to connect remote communities in Brazil

OTTAWA and RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, May 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Telesat, one of the world’s most innovative global satellite operators, and TIM Brasil, the leader in 4G coverage in the country, today announced the completion of on-orbit testing across several applications with Telesat’s Phase 1 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite.

This first-of-its-kind LEO backhaul testing in Brazil was conducted with TIM Brasil’s Innovation Department staff at their state-of-the-art teleport in Rio de Janeiro, leveraging an 85 cm Intellian parabolic antenna to uplink and downlink to the LEO satellite.

Throughout the 5-day testing campaign, the teams measured 4G mobile data traffic performance over LEO, achieving an average 38ms round trip latency. All applications tested ran efficiently without interference, fading or performance breaks throughout the tests, including 1080p YouTube video streaming, video conferencing, WhatsApp voice over LTE and interface compatibility. 

The resulting low latency represents a compelling opportunity for operators like TIM Brasil to expand their mobile and Internet services. Brazil has very good 4G coverage in population centers, but remote communities usually cannot cost-effectively be connected to the core network through fibre or additional cell towers due to long distances and difficult terrain. These tests highlight how Telesat Lightspeed can bring multiple Gbps of affordable, high-performance backhaul connectivity to connect many underserved regions and reduce the digital divide in Brazil.

With its innovative DNA, TIM Brasil is committed to achieving 100% 4G network coverage by 2023 and has been a leader in 5G testing in Brazil, even before the technology became a reality in the country. To this end, the operator opened its innovation laboratory, TIM Lab, in 2019 to test new technologies for its next-generation mobile networks.

“Coverage and network reliability are critically important to mobile customers, which can be challenging to deliver in a country as large as Brazil,” said Mauro Wajnberg, General Manager, Telesat Brasil. “Telesat Lightspeed backhaul connectivity will be transformative for Mobile Network Operators like TIM Brasil, who are seeking cost-effective, enterprise-grade backhaul solutions to affordably connect all potential subscribers, no matter where they live.” 

“Through this testing program, we believe Telesat Lightspeed is a promising technology to expand the geographic reach of our 4G/LTE and 5G networks,” said Silmar Palmeira, Director of Architecture, Innovation and Technology at TIM Brasil. “Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite performance delivered mobile experiences comparable to our terrestrial networks and we believe Telesat Lightspeed, with a mobile-optimized hardware ecosystem, has the potential to become a core component in our future infrastructure.”

Though the Telesat Lightspeed production satellites that will begin launching in approximately two years will be more capable and sophisticated, Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite provides an excellent opportunity to effectively demonstrate how various applications perform over LEO and will ultimately be supported by the full Telesat Lightspeed network. 

About Telesat

Backed by a legacy of engineering excellence, reliability and industry-leading customer service, Telesat is one of the largest and most successful 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 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, will be the first and only LEO network optimized to meet the rigorous requirements of telecom, government, maritime and aeronautical customers. Operating under its international priority Ka-band spectrum rights, Telesat Lightspeed will redefine global satellite connectivity with ubiquitous, affordable, high-capacity links with fibre-like speeds.

Privately held and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with offices and facilities around the world, Telesat’s principal shareholders are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL). For more information, visit www.telesat.com.

About TIM

“To evolve together with courage, transforming technology into freedom” is the purpose of TIM, which operates throughout Brazil with telecommunications services, focused on the pillars of innovation, customer experience and agility. The company is recognized for leading important market movements since the beginning of its operations in the country and is at the forefront of the digital transformation of society, in line with the signature of the brand: “Imagine the possibilities.” Since 2015, it has been a leader in 4G coverage in Brazil, including connecting the field to enable innovation in agribusiness. It was a pioneer in the activation of 5G networks in the country, with the creation of Living Labs in 2019, and is ready for the next generation of mobile networks.

TIM values diversity and promotes an ever more inclusive culture, with a work environment based on respect. The company operates committed to the best environmental, social and governance practices and, therefore, integrates important portfolios of the Brazilian stock exchange, such as the S & P / B3 Brasil ESG, the Carbon Efficient Index (ICO2) and the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE), being operator for more consecutive periods – 13 years – in this list. It is also part of B3’s Novo Mercado, recognized as the highest level of corporate governance, and was the first telephone company recognized by the Federal Comptroller General (CGU) with the “Pro-ethics” seal. More information, access: www.tim.com.br

Media contact:

Telesat | Lynette Simmons
info@telesat.com
+1 613 748 8729

TIM Brasil | MassMedia Comunicação
assessoria.tim@massmedia.com.br
+55 11 95467-7271

Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor

This news release contains statements that are not based on historical fact and are ”forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words “future”, ”potential”, “can”, and “will”, or other variations of these words or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Detailed information about some of the known risks and uncertainties is included in the “Risk Factors” section of Telesat Canada’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 which can be obtained on the SEC website.

Known risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks associated with operating satellites and providing satellite services, including satellite construction or launch delays, launch failures, in-orbit failures or impaired satellite performance, the ability to successfully deploy an advanced global LEO satellite constellation, the availability of government and/or other funding for the LEO satellite constellation, the receipt of proceeds in relation to the re-allocation of C-band spectrum, volatility in exchange rates, risks and expense associated with becoming a publicly listed company the ability to expand our existing satellite utilization, and risks associated with domestic and foreign government regulation. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. The information contained in this news release reflects Telesat’s beliefs, assumptions, intentions, plans and expectations as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Telesat disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise the information herein.