MARKHAM, Ont. — Canadian rural internet provider Xplore Inc. says it will offer faster satellite internet to those in remote locations this fall following the launch of the Jupiter 3 satellite into space.
The New Brunswick-based telecommunications company says the technology will offer a homegrown alternative to broadband internet service offered to rural Canadians through SpaceX's Starlink low-earth orbit satellites.
Xplore president and chief commercial officer Rizwan Jamal says his company's new broadband service will include speeds of 100 megabits per second, no upfront hardware costs and 24/7 Canada-based customer support.
Jupiter 3, touted as the highest capacity satellite by EchoStar Corp. subsidiary Hughes Network Systems, was launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday and began sending and receiving its first signals on Saturday morning.
Telecommunications consultant Mark Goldberg says Xplore's new offering represents another tool to provide internet connectivity to households beyond the reach of fibre or fixed wireless, and could be a more reliable option for rural Canadians than the technology used by Starlink.
Xplore says specific availability and pricing details will be available closer to service launch in the coming months.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2023.
The Canadian Press
