Rural internet provider Xplore Inc. has announced it will offer faster satellite internet to Canadians in rural locations this fall, following the successful launch of the next-generation JUPITER 3 satellite.
The satellite launched on Friday from historic Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, and soon began sending and receiving its first signals.
Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of EchoStar, touts Jupiter 3 as the “highest capacity, highest performing satellite” it has ever launched.
The satellite, Hughes said, will also support in-flight Wi-Fi, maritime connections, enterprise networks, and backhaul for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), as well as community Wi-Fi solutions.
Xplore said that its new broadband service will include 100 Mbps speeds, professional installation, and no upfront hardware costs, as well as 24/7 Canada-based customer support.
The New Brunswick-based company currently also offers 5G fixed wireless coverage at speeds of at least 100 Mbps in Atlantic Canada, with planned rollouts in Ontario and Alberta in the coming months, as well as fibre offerings in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Atlantic Canada.
Starlink satellite internet has been offered to Canadians in remote locations since its arrival in this country in 2020 and even had the fastest download and upload speeds among satellite providers in Canada in Q1 2023, Ookla’s latest speed test data revealed. The company offers high-speed internet service for C$140 per month, plus hardware costs of C$759, with self-installation. Those in “select areas of rural Canada” are eligible to purchase the Starlink hardware at C$199 as part of a limited time offer.
Xplore’s president and chief commercial officer Rizwan Jamal told Global News that the company has faced challenges in recent years with the arrival of SpaceX’s Starlink service. But its new internet service, Xplore says, will provide a “homegrown high-speed offering” for rural Canadians.
Specific availability and pricing details will be available closer to service launch, the company said.