In a push to address connectivity challenges in remote and rural areas, one politician in British Columbia is advocating for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet as a superior alternative to traditional broadband solutions. Highlighting the critical role of high-speed internet in today’s society, Conservative MLA Rosalyn Bird has positioned Starlink as a cost-effective and scalable option to bridge the digital divide.
Bird’s advocacy comes on the heels of the completion of the $1.08 million Upper Viewmount fibre optic project, which connected just 153 households in Northern BC, the equivalent of about $7,000 per household. Despite the project’s relative success, Bird highlighted the inefficiencies and prohibitive costs of traditional infrastructure, which have left many communities without reliable high-speed internet.
“For communities currently underserved by traditional infrastructure, the economic cost of inaction is clear: opportunities are missed, businesses remain disconnected, and rural regions fall further behind,” she said. (via Western Standard)
The challenges of expanding fibre optic and cellular networks in remote areas are well-documented. In BC, many rural regions lack the power infrastructure to support cellular towers, and the geographical remoteness drives up installation and maintenance costs of fibre optic cable. This has created an urgent need for innovative, scalable solutions that bypass these logistical hurdles.
Enter Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service. Unlike traditional broadband, which relies on extensive ground infrastructure, Starlink leverages a constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver high-speed internet anywhere on the planet. With an upfront equipment cost of as little as $499 for hardware and a monthly subscription fee of $140, Starlink offers a more immediate and flexible alternative.
Additionally, homes can be connected in days, as opposed to the years it often takes to complete government-led infrastructure projects.
Critics have raised concerns about the affordability of Starlink’s subscription fees compared to traditional broadband, which often ranges between $50 and $90 per month, but these fees can be much higher in rural and remote areas. However, even with lower prices, Bird argues that this is outweighed by the benefits of reliable and fast internet that can be deployed quickly to underserved areas.
