A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
The fight involves internet connectivity in remote regions as Canada tries to live up to its promise to connect every Canadian household to high-speed internet by 2030.
A week ago, the Liberal government announced the loan to Telesat, which is launching a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites that will be able to connect the most remote areas of the country to broadband internet.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett objected to the price tag, asking Musk in a social media post how much it would cost to provide his Starlink to every Canadian household that does not have high-speed access.
That’s hilarious, so you think people in developing countries should just get fucked as well then?
Most developing countries have pretty decent internet access already. Maybe not in the more remote areas, but again, access to the internet is not a requirement to live. Internet has barely existed for 30 years, I don’t think screwing up LEO in an attempt to bring faster internet to people who didn’t have it anyway is remotely reasonable.
You do realize that a massive portion of the world lives in what ISPs consider rural, and refuse to provide the Internet. If this wasn’t an issue, then starlink would have never taken off.
You realise that this has held true for literally everywhere, and that it’s only a matter of time until they’re connected too? Between 2017 and 2023 an additional 20% of the world received internet access, a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing down just yet. By 2030 approximately 80% of the world will have internet access, and somewhere between 2040-2050 we’ll consider the entire world to be connected.
I still see absolutely no reason to screw LEO and fill it with sattelites, just so that someone in bumfuck nowhere can Netflix or something. Internet access may be important for a western lifestyle, but the 90s barely anyone had internet and they lived perfectly fine without it. Even before Starlink sattelite internet existed (and still does), it’s just slower.
Where the fuck did anyone say that? Is this the next level? After the kids?
Go look at pictures of Nairobi and tell me seriously you think they don’t have broadband Internet.
You…you did, you’re entire argument hinges on “fuck those people, they shouldn’t live outside a city”…
No it’s they shouldn’t expect the same services as even small towns. These are thousand person affairs on or above the Arctic Circle.
Dude, people in small towns are having to use starlink. The fuck are you talking about…my fucking god I cannot believe I’m arguing with someone who thinks basic services shouldn’t be provided for their citizens.