As this post gets published, I should be landing in Moscow, en route to the Baikonur Kosmodrome, to watch the launch of Xplornet’s 4G satellite.
On Friday, I wrote about how this new satellite is designed to bring faster and more affordable broadband connections to more Canadians in rural and remote areas, those who live and work beyond the reach of terrestrial facilities.
Xplornet is also making significant investments in regional infrastructure to support connectivity to its satellites. Last week, Xplornet announced the successful completion of a multi-million dollar 4G satellite ground station near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Xplornet is Alberta’s leading provider of rural broadband service. The Fort McMurray gateway announcement comes on the heels of a similar facility being completed near St. John’s.
This week’s launch of Viasat-1 will be streamed live. Early next year, a second 4G satellite, Jupiter, will be launched to complete the coverage. Xplornet is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Canada to bridge the urban/rural broadband divide.
This week’s launch should be celebrated by all who have been working to advance Canada’s digital agenda.