A new satellite Internet service will be introduced to parts of Ontario next June.

The government will use Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit Satellite technology to deliver high-speed service to mainly remote, rural and northern Ontario areas where the provision of wired services is difficult or cost-prohibitive.

Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma says the province is investing 100 million dollars in the project.

“What the province will be doing is we will be paying for the installation and equipment fees,” says Surma.

“But of course, there is work that will have to occur between Starlink and the Province of Ontario in terms of registration, and that’s what we’ll communicate in months to come.”

Surma says it will provide users with high-speed Internet capable of supporting streaming video calls, online gaming, and other activities that have become second nature to others.
Service is expected to be available to about 15,000 eligible businesses and homes.

Joel Cherkis, Starlink’s Senior Manager of Business Operations, says their satellites operate a mere 550 kilometres from Earth.

“It’s very different than the traditional geostationary satellite providers. They typically are operating somewhere around 35,000 kilometres above the Eart,” says Cherkis.

“By being much closer to the Earth, that enables us to deliver high-speed capability at a very low latency. Low latency is important because of some of the things that Minister Surma mentioned, things like online streaming services, being able to have video calls, being able to do online gaming, or to live your life using the broadband capabilities.”

Pikangikum First Nation was one of the area’s first communities to receive Internet through Starlink’s satellites.

Cherkis says they are on pace to place as many as 40 satellites a week into space.

They now have over 4 million customers in 100 countries using the Starlink service.