Ontario signs $100M deal with Elon Musk's Starlink system
CTV
Premier Doug Ford's government has signed a $100-million deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario.
Premier Doug Ford's government has signed a $100-million deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario.
The new program called ONSAT — which stands for Ontario Satellite Internet — will bring SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet system to 15,000 premises, said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma.
"These communities will gain access to high-speed satellite internet capable of supporting streaming video calls, online gaming and more activities that have become second nature to so many of us," Surma said.
The service will be used to connect people in the hardest-to-reach areas of the province to the internet, she said.
The system will go live next June with eligibility and registration starting in the spring.
The province will cover equipment and installation costs, but not monthly fees.
"It is an investment of close to $100 million," Surma said.
