Ontario premier says he’s ‘ripping up’ contract with Musk’s Starlink

px_eliezer_ · 2025-02-03T21:45:26+00:00

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said that he was also banning American companies from provincial contracts, signed a Canadian $100-million ($68 million) with Musk’s company in November to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario... “We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” Ford said... “We just aren’t going to be using American companies,” Ford said. “And no matter if we are building a hospital, if we’re building anything, if we’re building a doghouse I want to make sure we are using Ontario steel, Canadian products, Canadian wood, Ontario wood, anything. Just an awful situation all around.

Thane_Bitter

bjlockie Look how little news that part got? Ford is as deranged as Musk & Co.

koira

px_eliezer_ apparently with the implementation of the tarrifs by the US today, Dougs starlink contract actually got ripped up

thenewdc

Ripping up contract is a bad idea. Who does this hurt. It hurts indigenous communities, it subsidized the high cost of subscribing directly. Nonsensical for Ford to rip up the contract whether or not you hate Musk and Trump. By the way this wont hurt Musk one lick.

koira

thenewdc at least when they subscribe direct they dont have to pay GST

JRB-Ware

Again, anyone can subscribe to Starlink on their own. No government contract needed. "Ripping up" a government contract probably inadvertently saves taxpayer dollars anyway.

px_eliezer_

Meanwhile...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, said at a press conference Tuesday he would apply a 25% surcharge on energy exports to New York, Michigan and Minnesota and would consider restricting the electricity exports down the line if the (US) tariffs persist.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/04/ontario-canada-tariff-retaliation-energy-states/81350351007/

Of course those are largely Dem states so (Derogatory name removed by Moderator) may not care.

WalterDnes

The cancellation is in effect and it’s permanent even if US tariffs are rescinded… https://betakit.com/its-done-its-gone-ontario-premier-doug-ford-cancels-100-million-starlink-contract-in-tariff-response/

Ford also told Global News this week that the cancellation of the Starlink contract is permanent, even if all tariffs are removed.

Thane_Bitter

WalterDnes Europe has something like starlink perhaps it would be usable for providing people in rural areas with services.

ElQuintron

Thane_Bitter Europe has something like starlink perhaps it would be usable for providing people in rural areas with services.

booj from DSLr would be the person to ask, but I recall him working on a federally funded made in Canada version of Starlink. It’s not magic, just modern satellite internet.

WalterDnes

Thane_Bitter Europe ~~has~~ plans to have something like starlink perhaps it would be usable for providing people in rural areas with services.

See https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/eu-launches-106bn-space-internet-program-set-to-launch-in-2029/ Sometime in 2029 they hope to launch the first of 250 satellites. Using Ariane launchers would push the completion date into the mid to late 2030’s. Or they could swallow their pride and pay SpaceX to do it in under 2 years.

TeddyBoom

ElQuintron booj from DSLr would be the person to ask, but I recall him working on a federally funded made in Canada version of Starlink. It’s not magic, just modern satellite internet.

Would this be the Telesat project mentioned here?

Northwestel has been working with the Canadian satellite company Telesat to bring smaller targeted low-earth orbit (LEO) constellations into working order above remote areas.

Strange way to put it when you are talking about a satellite constellation.

ElQuintron

TeddyBoom I believe so.

WalterDnes

It’s official; the contract cancellation paperwork is done, and the penalty is “significantly less” than the original full cost. https://www.cp24.com/news/2025/07/30/ontario-government-agrees-to-fee-to-formally-rip-up-100m-contract-with-elon-musks-starlink/

The Doug Ford government has agreed to a fee to formally cancel its $100-million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.

The Tories first announced plans to rip up the contract for satellite internet service after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods in January.

A government source tells CTV News Toronto that a fee was paid to cancel the deal but the cost was “significantly less” than the full value of the contract.

urbanriot

WalterDnes It’s extremely disturbing to me that $100 million of our tax dollars was wasted for ego.

We are seeking an alternate solution as we continue our efforts to secure long term, stable high-speed internet access across the province

There is no alternative solution and attempts to ‘create’ this will waste even more of our money. I’m really disappointed.

ElQuintron

WalterDnes It’s official; the contract cancellation paperwork is done, and the penalty is “significantly less” than the original full cost.

Even if I didn’t have an already terrible opinion of Musk, this is the correct course of action, I’m glad it’s costing less than it would’ve otherwise.

WalterDnes

urbanriot WalterDnes It’s extremely disturbing to me that $100 million of our tax dollars was wasted for ego.

Please re-read my post (and the article). The cancellation fee is “significantly less” than the full contract cost.

urbanriot There is no alternative solution and attempts to ‘create’ this will waste even more of our money. I’m really disappointed.

Actually, there are a couple https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/these-are-the-six-european-alternatives-to-elon-musks-starlink
1) Eutelsat

The company already has 2,000 terminals operational in Ukraine, which demonstrates that they can also function in crises.

2) SES

They currently offer data services via geostationary satellites and MEO satellites. MEO satellites (Medium Earth Orbit) are located at an altitude between LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and GEO (Geostationary Orbit) satellites.

LEO and MEO satellites are over Europe only part of the time. I’m sure the companies would love to pick up extra business while those satellites are on the other side of the Atlantic from them. Given Elon’s waffling re: Starlink in Ukraine, I really would rather prefer to have a non-American option available. Before anybody asks, Telesat is 63% owned by Loral Space & Communications, headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Donoreo

urbanriot It’s extremely disturbing to me that $100 million of our tax dollars was wasted for ego.

He is good at wasting money, look at the foolishness to get beer and wine in corner stores early and the money paid for that. This government is very wasteful.

Dks01

Donoreo Not to mention bike lanes. Trivia. The judge who issued the judgement, Schabas, was a tutor of mine in university.

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