Orange and Telesat Launch Europe's First Lightspeed GatewayOrange and Telesat inaugurate Europe's first Telesat Lightspeed Gateway in France
Orange, one of the world's leading telco operators and digital service providers, and Telesat LEO ULC, a subsidiary of Telesat Corporation (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT), one of the world's largest and most innovative satellite operators, announced the commissioning of the first European gateway for the Telesat Lightspeed constellation. Hosted within Orange's World Teleport Association Tier-4 certified teleport in Bercenay-en-Othe, France, this state-of-the-art gateway is a key component of Telesat's terrestrial infrastructure and will support the deployment of the planned initial 225 satellites that will form the Telesat Lightspeed constellation. Ground segment connectivity will be provided by Orange through a secure high-speed network connecting the station to Telesat's planned point of presence (PoP) in Paris, delivering the high availability and low latency required for mission-critical applications. The selection of Bercenay-en-Othe was driven by operational excellence, security certifications, and the ability to rapidly integrate cutting-edge technologies. Telesat is designing its Telesat Lightspeed network to deliver enterprise-grade connectivity with the security, resilience, and performance required for mission-critical operations. The Bercenay-en-Othe gateway includes advanced gateway antennas supplied by Intellian Technologies, supporting the network's high-capacity, low-latency architecture. Leveraging optical inter-satellite links, the Telesat Lightspeed network is being designed to enable customer traffic to remain in space until it is securely delivered to a Telesat landing station or a customer's private landing facility, providing enterprise, telecom, government, and defense users with enhanced data sovereignty, routing flexibility and control. “We are very pleased to host this new low Earth orbit gateway in our Bercenay-en-Othe teleport. This partnership with Telesat demonstrates our ability to deliver trusted ground infrastructure as well as innovative and resilient connectivity solutions with our integration of next-generation satellite networks. The activation of this gateway not only reinforces our position in the space ecosystem but also supports our efforts to address the increasing demand for secure satellite connectivity. Additionally, this collaboration aligns with our goal to host more satellite operators at Bercenay-en-Othe through our ground segment offerings, establishing the site as a European hub for the next generation of satellite networks,” said Jean-Louis Le Roux, EVP Orange International Networks. “As we continue the build-out of the Telesat Lightspeed terrestrial infrastructure in advance of our anticipated global in-service date of Q1 2028, Orange is a valued strategic partner in our deployment efforts. We look forward to exploring additional opportunities for collaboration that will support the delivery of resilient connectivity, including for Orange's customers across Europe, Africa and other locations around the world,” added Telesat's Chief Commercial Officer Glenn Katz. As a key component of Orange's global connectivity network, the Bercenay-en-Othe teleport plays a crucial role in delivering tailored, reliable, and low-latency connectivity solutions. By leveraging Telesat's cutting-edge satellite technology alongside Orange's 60 years of expertise in satellite connectivity and ground segment capabilities, this collaboration enhances the resilience of global digital infrastructure, improves coverage, and promotes digital inclusion in remote areas. Source: Orange media announcement | |
