Feds Approve Satellite Cell Service to End Wireless Dead Zones

The federal government is moving forward with a plan to improve cell service in rural and remote areas by allowing telecom providers to use satellites to expand coverage.

The new policy, announced by Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne on Thursday, lays the groundwork for companies to offer direct-to-phone satellite connectivity, starting with text messaging later this year.

Many parts of Canada still have dead zones where traditional cell towers don’t reach, leaving people without service on highways, in remote communities, and during emergencies. By using satellites, people in these areas will be able to stay connected even without traditional cell towers.

This policy is part of a larger push to improve telecom reliability across Canada, especially for emergencies and 911 access. The goal is to increase investment in wireless networks and expand service to places where coverage has been unreliable or nonexistent. Building cell towers to blanket Canada is an expensive undertaking and it makes more sense to use satellite services.

Rogers has already partnered with SpaceX’s Starlink for its Direct to Cell initiative, which will use Starlink satellites to provide cell service in areas without towers. The service will first support texting, with voice calls and data expected later. Rogers is one of the first Canadian carriers to explore satellite-based cell service, aiming to eliminate dead zones in remote areas. Starlink Direct to Cell works with select LTE smartphones such as the iPhone and popular Android devices. No modifications are required as your phone just will automatically connect.

We recently speculated on what this Starlink service might cost, based on T-Mobile in the USA recently revealing its pricing plan for customers and those on other networks.