BIRD: Northern and remote communities need internet connectivity – but the B.C. premier is preoccupied with political posturing
Up here in Northern B.C., there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Starlink.
Starlink is a high-speed internet service that operates using a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. This means that homes in areas unequipped with on-the-ground internet infrastructure can simply install a Starlink dish and router and pay a monthly bill of approximately $140, no matter how rural, remote, or far north they are.
With this kind of private sector innovation, there is no need to rely on costly and slow-to-implement government infrastructure projects.
However, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, B.C. Premier David Eby stated that he would no longer be pursuing U.S.-based Starlink to deliver high-speed internet to remote and northern communities in British Columbia. Simultaneously, Eby prohibited B.C.’s Crown corporations from awarding major project contracts to American firms.
Ontario premier Doug Ford announced on February 3rd that he was “ripping up” a $100M contract with Starlink in response to the U.S. tariffs, but just hours later reversed his decision after the tariffs were suspended.
Eby, however, has not announced that he will be reinstating the pursuit of Starlink. It seems he wants to punish Trump-affiliated Starlink founder Elon Musk in whatever small way he can, at the cost of ensuring that residents of rural B.C. can access high-speed internet connectivity. Musk is the head of the new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.
Clearly, Eby and the BC NDP are putting politics before people.
Access to reliable, low-latency internet is crucial for growing the economy, accessing educational opportunities, and maintaining familial ties.
Rural and urban British Columbians alike video chat with relatives in other parts of the world, partake in telehealth appointments and web-based medical services, and work remotely. Many youth choose to do some or all of their schooling virtually, and many adults enrol in degree programs or continuing studies online. For those operating a business, high-speed internet is a non-negotiable.
BC Ferries is one Crown corporation that is now forbidden from doing further business with American firms. BC Ferries already purchases Starlink service for their crew, but not yet for their passengers.
In Japan, one of Tokyo Kyushu Ferry’s ships is now equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi so that its 300 passengers can read the news, complete university assignments, or work remotely during the 21-hour marine journey.
The state-run Alaska Marine Highway System offers Starlink Wi-Fi on their largest ferry as well.
In October 2024, Qatar Airways equipped the first Boeing 777 airplane with Starlink Wi-Fi.
In B.C., we can only dream of having these services.
As it stands, Starlink is the only operational satellite constellation internet provider with full B.C. coverage that offers reasonably-priced services directly to individual homes. Eutelsat OneWeb, which is currently more expensive, targets enterprise and government, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Telesat Canada’s Lightspeed are not yet operational.
Our province has promised that 100% of residents will be connected to the internet by 2027.
The NDP government must not let rural, remote, and northern British Columbians fall behind because David Eby prioritizes his political grandstanding. The government should commit to a Starlink costing and stakeholder engagement study – they should not be closing doors on technology that can seal the digital divide.
Rosalyn Bird is the BC Conservative Critic for Citizens’ Services and MLA for Prince George-Valemount.
