Newtec has revealed that its modems have been successfully tested over-the-air (OTA) on Telesat’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite.

During trials, test user traffic successfully passed over the satellite through the modems, which were installed at Telesat’s Allan Park facility last month.

Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite was launched in this year and the company is currently conducting live demonstrations of its capabilities.

These capability demonstrations are an important step in Telesat’s plans to deploy an LEO constellation in a bid to transform broadband communications worldwide.

Newtec CTO Frederik Simoens said: “LEO is a technology we watch closely, and we are pleased that our modems have been able to support Telesat on this important technology proof.

“These latest tests show the potential of LEOs in efficiently and reliably delivering end-user traffic.”

“The testing process began with small-scale tests and we have been working our way up throughout the process, with these latest tests showing the potential of LEOs in efficiently and reliably delivering end-user traffic.

“Our modem portfolio, combined with next-generation onboard technologies, is ideally suited to bring maximum efficiency and throughput.”

In the coming weeks, Telesat is also planning to conduct live phase 1 LEO testing with its customers. Testing of the Ka-band payload is ongoing.

Telesat’s LEO constellation will be combining its global spectrum rights in Ka-band with Telesat’s proprietary LEO architecture to transform global communications.

Once fully deployed, Telesat LEO is expected to speed up 4G/5G expansion and will bridge the digital divide with fibre-like high-speed services in rural and remote communities.