Northern Ontario Residents Face Internet Blackout: What's Going On?
Imagine losing your internet connection after years of reliable service. That's the reality for some Xplore satellite internet customers in northern Ontario, as the company, formerly known as Xplorenet, is ending its agreement with a satellite provider. This means a portion of their customers will soon be left in the digital dark.
This news, reported by CBC News, highlights the ongoing struggle for reliable internet access in rural and remote areas. Nick Lavoie, owner of Northern Internet Solutions, a company that installs Starlink satellite dishes, has seen a surge in calls from affected Xplore customers. They're reaching out, desperate for alternatives.
Customers received emails informing them that their service would be terminated by late November or early December, depending on their location. Xplore confirmed the situation, stating that a partner is discontinuing its satellite service, impacting a 'small portion' of its customers. While the exact number of affected individuals remains undisclosed, the impact is significant for those reliant on the service.
But here's where it gets controversial... Xplore is working to transition affected customers to its other services, like fixed wireless and fibre internet, where available. They're also investing a whopping $1.6 billion in network upgrades over the next few years. This investment aims to improve service for Canadians in rural and remote areas.
Consider Cathy Prentice, a resident of rural Worthington, Greater Sudbury. After years of using Xplore, she received the dreaded email. Fortunately, she found an alternative in Starlink, installed by Lavoie. While she admits it's a bit pricier than her previous service, the transition was necessary to stay connected.
The Rural Internet Gap: A Persistent Problem
Susan Church, the executive director of the North Bay-based Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation, points out that this situation underscores the ongoing challenges in providing high-speed internet to northern and rural communities. While over 90% of Canadian households have high-speed internet (with download speeds of 50 megabits per second or more), the numbers are much lower in northern Ontario. Blue Sky's data shows that only 75% of households in northern Ontario reach that threshold. And this is the part most people miss... If you exclude the region's five largest cities, that number drops to a concerning 56%.
It's important to note that these figures don't even include Starlink, as Blue Sky can't track its numbers. The federal government aims for all Canadian households to have high-speed internet by 2030, while the provincial government has set a more ambitious timeline, aiming to achieve the same goal by the end of 2025. In 2021, both levels of government announced a $1.2-billion broadband partnership to help meet these deadlines.
Adding to the mix, Canadian company Telesat recently announced the purchase of land in Timmins, northern Ontario, for a landing station to service its low Earth orbit satellite network, Telesat Lightspeed, which is planned to launch in the coming years. Church notes that smaller internet service providers are often the driving force behind connecting rural Canadians, as the business case isn't always attractive enough for larger companies to invest in these areas.
What do you think?
Do you live in a rural area and struggle with internet access? Are you surprised by the numbers? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! Let's discuss the challenges and potential solutions for bridging the digital divide in northern Ontario and beyond.
