While much of the conversation about rural broadband in Canada has recently centered on low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, the business is a very expensive one, with huge capital costs and — depending on the business model of a given company — big subsidies, according to the panellists at a Friday session of the 2020 online edition of the Canada’s Rural and Remote Broadband Conference. Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s Starlink system is meant to focus on direct to consumer service, but the starting costs come with a more-than $500 price tag for the consumer, panellists said....
Telesat Holdings Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) both said Tuesday they plan to provide broadband connectivity to remote and rural areas of Canada seven years ahead of the government’s 2030 target date, though neither had a definitive answer about the affordability of the services. Speaking before a meeting of the House of Commons industry committee, Telesat president and CEO Dan Goldberg said he expects Telesat to have its full constellation of around 300 low earth...