SpaceX and Rogers Communications have struck a deal for satellite phone services in rural Canada.
Per Bloomberg, Rogers will use Starlink low-earth orbit satellites to provide emergency services via text services. The two companies will also add voice and data coverage later down the line.
The goal is to bring emergency services to remote areas in the country where conventional wireless networks do not reach, including remote wilderness, national parks and rural highways.
Rogers Chief Executive Officer Tony Stafferi had this to say in a statement:
As the country’s biggest investor in 5G spectrum with Canada’s largest 5G network, Rogers is proud to work with SpaceX to expand wireless coverage across all of Canada, from coast to coast, to keep Canadians connected and safe. In the future, these investments will deliver wireless connectivity, including access to 911, to even the most remote areas.
However, Rogers did not confirm a start date for the service nor the dollar amount for the deal.
This is the second satellite-to-phone contract that Rogers has signed. Earlier today, Rogers announced a deal with Lynk Global Inc to provide satellite-to-phone coverage. It is unclear if SpaceX and Lynq will work in coordination or provide overlapping coverage to cover the entirety of Canada for the communication giant.
