Ontario’s plan to deliver high-speed internet to every household by the end of 2025 has officially fallen behind schedule — and one major factor is the province’s decision to terminate its $100 million deal with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service.
The Ford government confirmed this week that its universal broadband target, first announced in 2021, will now be pushed back three years to 2028. The delay, officials said, stems from a mix of trade-related complications, construction slowdowns, and the absence of a viable replacement for Starlink’s network in remote northern regions.
Starlink Deal Cancelled Amid Trade Dispute
Ontario’s contract with Starlink, signed in November 2024, was intended to connect roughly 15,000 northern households and small businesses to reliable satellite internet. However, the deal was scrapped in March 2025 after the U.S. administration introduced 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. Premier Doug Ford said the move was a direct response to what he called an “economic attack” on Ontario.
“It’s done,” Ford declared at the time. “We’re not going back there.”
The political decision to cut ties was also fueled by Ford’s criticism of Elon Musk’s close association with then-U.S. President Donald Trump. Although Musk and Trump have since had a public falling out, Ford confirmed this summer that Ontario has no plans to revive the contract, saying, “I don’t want to deal with someone who’s attacking our country.”
Ending the agreement wasn’t without cost. The province paid an undisclosed cancellation fee to SpaceX, described by insiders as “not zero” but significantly less than the original $100 million price tag.
Lack of Alternatives Leaves Rural Ontario Waiting
The fallout from the cancelled Starlink contract has left thousands of northern Ontario residents in limbo. A government source told Global News there were no “feasible” alternatives that could quickly fill the gap left by Starlink. Other options — such as Rogers’ satellite service or the upcoming Telesat Lightspeed constellation — either depend on SpaceX’s infrastructure or won’t be operational until at least 2026.
Meanwhile, fibre-optic projects in remote regions have also faced setbacks due to difficult terrain and construction delays. To speed things up, Ontario will introduce new regulations allowing internet providers to attach fibre cables to existing hydro poles rather than installing new infrastructure.
New Broadband Goal: 2028
Despite missing the original deadline, officials insist Ontario remains committed to connecting every household to high-speed broadband. The $4 billion initiative remains Canada’s largest provincial internet expansion project, targeting an estimated 700,000 underserved homes.
“More homes will be connected at the end of this year than ever before,” the government said in a statement, emphasizing that the overall objective hasn’t changed — only the timeline.
Still, critics argue that political posturing and cancelled partnerships have slowed the province’s momentum, leaving northern and rural communities waiting even longer for reliable internet access.
