Ontario ditches Starlink deal, leaving remote communities with few alternatives
Ontario’s decision to cancel its $100 million deal with SpaceX’s Starlink has left Northern communities uncertain about their internet future, with many calling for support of Canadian alternatives and local-driven solutions.
Canada is building its own starlink like service.
https://www.telesat.com/leo-satellites/
The first production satellites will start launching in 2026. It sucks that remote communities will have to wait a few more years, but it’s better than buying from a hostile foreign power that we’re at war with.
100%. And old school satellite internet service still exists, it just sucks by comparison. Xplorenet and the like.
Slipping my mind right now but I recently learned of an alternative company that has something similar that seems like it's already in operation. Can't remember if it's Canadian or not though.
A company headquartered in Canada and "Canada" are very different things.
I can't believe I live in an era where we celebrate blocking ourselves off from space for the sake of private interests selling higher resolution porn to rural communities. Especially when we could just be investing in public, terrestrial infrastructure.
If you are going to pitch “public, terrestrial infrastructure”, you better link to some explanation of how it would be remotely economic or feasible.
Holding out for terrestrial infrastructure means no connectivity in practice much of the time. Classic case of letting the dream of a perfect plan become the enemy of a good one.
[edit: not pro StarLink by the way]
“Investing in public infrastructure” is not a term I’ve heard from any government in a long time and it saddens me.
We should nationalize the internet network, and make it reach these communities ourselves. If Bell Rogers and Telus couldn't get it done in decades, that means the oligopoly is too advanced and they're getting complacent.
ISPs will provide service so long as it is profitable. It is not profitable to go to northern, remote areas through all the trees and terrain for the relatively few people who would be customers, even at 100% market share. If there was profit to be made by expanding to remote places, they'd be there already.
Although this thread is about Internet, this is also why it's incredibly stupid for people to whine about Canada Post not being profitable. Of course its not profitable, its a national service that services literally every unprofitable community and person in the country. Even with the recent price increase, it definitely costs a lot more than $1.24 for Canada Post to deliver a letter from Windsor to Iqaluit.
Honestly at this late stage of the game making sure everyone in Canada has reliable internet service should be a no-brainer. The gov't needs to build it, then rent the lines to service providers (forced, if they decline). Prices will be the same across the board, regulated by a CRTC that hasn't been bought out by the big three.
I'm hoping that Carney brings in legislation that equalizes access and cost.
You'd have to be incredibly stupid to want starlink.
Even if it's the only option, it shouldn't be considered an option.
We need to make a solution for remote communities. Carney wants to build, well, a real internet project for our northern communities would be one form of building.