Canada's leading rural fixed-wireless broadband provider Xplornet has signed a 15-year contract valued at over USD250 million for 50Gbps of Ka-band capacity on the EchoStar XXIV satellite due to be launched by US-based Hughes Network Systems in 2021, to support high speed broadband reaching over 90% of Canadians. According to Hughes' press release, the deal with Xplornet also includes system gateway/consumer premise equipment and operational/support services.

Currently under construction, EchoStar XXIV – a.k.a. JUPITER 3 Ultra High Density Satellite (UHDS) – is designed to bring more than 500Gbps of capacity across the Americas. Allison Lenehan, CEO of Xplornet, said: 'This agreement marks another milestone in our long-standing relationship with Hughes. JUPITER 3 is expected to provide the highest speed satellite internet service in Canada, with download speeds of 100Mbps.'