Launch of the Mobile Satellite Services Association–Terrestar proposes the creation of the MSSA, joining other co-founding members, each one an industry leader.

Their mission is to help deliver scalable, sustainable, and affordable connectivity to any device, anytime, anywhere in the world.

Terrestar, TELUS and Skylo demonstrate Canada's first two-way communication between smartphones and satellites.

Terrestar and Skylo join forces on direct-to-device satellite communications throughout Canada.

Terrestar initiated the 5G NTN Project.

Strigo announces its new, innovative value proposition to all Canadians seeking affordable and safe connectivity in remote locations.

Terrestar launches its newly developed Strigo brand to offer mobile satellite services to Canadians. Meaning owl in Esperanto, Strigo stands as the sentinel that keeps you safe and in touch with your world wherever you are, even in Canada’s remote locations.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) approves Terrestar’s application to subordinate licence 40 MHz of AWS-4 spectrum in 37 Tier 3 licenced areas and 13 Tier 4 licenced areas to Xplornet Communications Inc. These licences cover nearly 13 million Canadians living in 10 provinces.

ISED approves Terrestar’s application to subordinate licence 20 MHz of its spectrum to TELUS in 11 Tier 4 licenced areas and 10 MHz in three (3) Tier 4 licenced areas (Vancouver, Victoria and Hope, B.C.). These licences cover over 13 million Canadians living in the four most populated provinces.

ISED certifies Terrestar’s MSS mobile device, the Hughes 4201 Mobile Satellite Device, for use in Canada.

ISED approval is obtained, following the closing of a transaction with Gamma Acquisition Canada ULC, to acquire 10% of the satellite, and of all related Canadian satellite licences.

Terrestar enters into a long-term partnership with Telesat to monitor and operate its satellite and feederlink gateway activities in Canada.

Gamma Acquisition Canada’s MSS and Echostar T1 satellite orbital spectrum & radio licences are transferred to Terrestar.

Terrestar contracts Hughes Network Systems for the design, development, supply and integration of its satellite ground communication network infrastructure and services in Canada.

The mobile satellite network will be fully deployed and operational by March 2020.

Terrestar‘s shareholders commit and support an additional capitalization of approximately $120 million (in addition to some $1B previously invested pre Terrestar-1 launch in 2009 – now renamed Echostar T1).

Band 66 and 70 are confirmed part of the priority list for 5G band candidates with the goal to be standardized as part of 3GPP Rel-15 (mid-2019).

Terrestar applies to ISED to access limited spectrum in the 1695 – 1710 MHz band. This additional spectrum is required to provide 3GPP-sanctioned uplink capability and pairing for Band 70 to provide traditional AWS-4 mobile service.

The application is denied in February 2018 due to uncertainty of future uplink frequencies for Band 70. Terrestar commits to continue to work with ISED to make Band 70 services a reality for Canadian consumers.

3GPP officially looks at new radio access technologies to normalize it for compatibility with 5G standard.

The inclusion of satellite requirements during the development of the 5G specifications is expected to foster the integration of satellite capabilities into the 5G converged network. This is still underway.

Terrestar elects to use its AWS-4 spectrum all in the downlink direction, thereby harmonizing with the North American standard for the AWS-4 Band.

The new Band 70 is approved by 3GPP following a new Study Item to assess the feasibility of a new asymmetrical 15+25 MHz LTE Band while providing deployment flexibility in protecting primary Federal and non-Federal Meteorological Satellite (MetSat) receiver sites. This new band is a mix of the unpaired AWS-3 1695-1710 MHz in uplink, and H-block 1995-2000 MHz plus AWS-4 2000-2020 MHz in downlink.

Aggregation is defined with Bands 29 (700 MHz unpaired), 66 (AWS-extended) and 71 (600 MHz) allowing bandwidth of 65 MHz (inter-band aggregation with Band 66) and 85 MHz (inter-band aggregation with Bands 66 and 71). Band 70 rapidly becomes part of the list of bands for Narrow Band IoT.

The 3GPP adds Band 66 to the list of bands for Narrow Band IoT.

Terrestar Solutions shareholders proceed with the additional study items toward the integration of band AWS-4 into Band 70 at the 3GPP forum.

A new Band 66 is defined by 3GPP that includes existing AWS-1 and AWS-3 bands, to which the 20-MHz downlink portion of AWS-4 is added creating a 70 MHz up, 90 MHz down band. Driven by the demand for AWS-3 capable radios, aggregation schemes between Band 66 and other mobile bands are rapidly defined. Band 66 can be aggregated with 12 bands including PCS 1900, 850 Cellular, 2500 BRS, lower 700, upper 700, Public Safety 700, unpaired 700 SDL, 2300, unlicensed 5 GHz, 3500 US CBRS, Band 70 (AWS-3/4) and 600 MHz. Up to 4-band aggregation is possible with a maximum downlink bandwidth of 100 MHz.

Band 66 ecosystem will rapidly develop in the following months with radio and mobile devices supporting the band.

Terrestar is issued a new, 20-year nation-wide licence from Industry Canada for an additional 20 MHz of spectrum for a total of 40 MHz. It uses this same spectrum (2000 – 2020 MHz and 2180 – 2200 MHz) to provide national Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) via the Echostar T1 satellite in what is generally referred to as the S-Band, and national cellular services in what is generally referred to as the AWS-4 frequency band for cellular services. Terrestar is the only company with the unique advantage of coordinating the rural-and-remote-based MSS service and the urban-and-rural-based wireless cellular services using the same spectrum frequencies nationally across the country.

Industry Canada modifies its MSS-ATC Policy to allow for the use of satellite and terrestrial devices separately (dual-mode integrated handset requirement dropped from policy). Terrestar is approved for an additional 20 MHz of ATC and MSS spectrum for a combined total of 40 MHz.

Terrestar Solutions shareholders proceed with a Study Item for the integration of band AWS-4 into Band 66 at the 3GPP forum. This process (standard) is an important step forward toward reaching the goal of bringing satellite services to all Canadians wherever they are while using everyday devices.

In order to deliver its vision, Terrestar shareholders decide to convert to a new standard “EGAL.” They work with a chip-set manufacturer to integrate the satellite band into cellular phones. Ground infrastructures are built in the US to test the technology. The chipset manufacturer subsequently abandoned this project in 2013. Terrestar is then obligated to end its project to offer the Genus Phone in partnership with a large Canadian provider.

The Elektrobit-designed Genus phone becomes the first dual-mode satellite/cellular handset certified for use in Canada.

DISH Networks acquires Terrestar Canada, a sister company of Terrestar Solutions Inc., DBSD North America and Terrestar US. Terrestar Canada is renamed Gamma Acquisition Canada ULC. DISH also becomes an important shareholder of Terrestar Solutions.

Industry Canada approves Trio Capital’s acquisition of Terrestar Canada and transfers licences to the company.

On the first of July, Terrestar-1 satellite, built by Space Systems Loral, is launched and located in geostationary orbit at 111 degrees west, 35,000 kilometers over the equator.

Trio Capital Inc. of Montreal completes the acquisition of Terrestar Canada and becomes the majority shareholder of the newly found Terrestar Solutions Inc. The purchase agreement also allows access to 20 MHz of S-Band spectrum in Canada. The spectrum is coupled with licences to offer mobile satellite and wireless cellular services across Canada.

Industry Canada issues an MSS-ATC Policy paving the way for satellite and cellular service integration. The policy specifies that a single handset be used for MSS satellite and ATC wireless cellular services.