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North Bay City Council is mirroring a resolution by the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities that supports exploring all options in the quest for improved broadband internet capability, including emerging models of satellite internet, such as the Elon Musk-backed Starlink.
"FONOM believes that the Starlink program is our best option," said president Danny Whalen in a mid-September news release. "We know today our citizens require greater connectivity than 50/10 megabits per second."
In North Bay, the resolution was brought forward by Coun. Bill Vrebosch and passed unanimously. It is designed to allow Musk's SpaceX affiliate Starlink — and other private ventures with the financial wherewithal — to compete with those companies active in the communication field. The original FONOM resolution also encourages the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to provide Starlink with a basic international telecommunications licence.
"This is such an economic necessity for us to build and grow this community," said Bill Vrebosch on potential broadband improvements during Tuesday's virtual regular meeting of council. "It allows the CRTC to look beyond what's happening with the major players," and invite other entities to the table.
See related story: Lack of quality internet frustrates many local users
Starlink is an evolving satellite internet network promising "performance that far surpasses that of traditional satellite internet, and a global network unbounded by ground infrastructure limitations."
Coun. Mark King added in support of the resolution, "Basically, nothing has been done," over the past year to address internet connectivity issues in the region. "The surrounding communities are asking for it and North Bay is a hub city."
See also: NetSpectrum moving forward with fibre plan in East Ferris
And: Northern municipalities put support behind satellite internet service
There have been some delays in building the multi-billion dollar enterprise but Starlink initially announced plans to deliver service to Canada in 2020, with a goal of coverage for the populated world by 2021.
The U.S.-based company maintains once beta testing is complete and the Starlink is fully operational, it "will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable."
