Surma clarified that this initiative targets the province’s hardest-to-reach areas and will launch in June, with registration and eligibility processes beginning in the spring.
The government will cover equipment and installation costs, although monthly fees will be borne by users. “It is an investment of close to $100m,” she said.
SpaceX secured the contract following a “robust and transparent and competitive and fair technical and financial evaluation of multiple qualified parties,” stated Michael Lindsay, CEO of Infrastructure Ontario.
The contract also requires Indigenous “engagement and participation.”
Lindsay emphasized that SpaceX would work closely with Indigenous communities to ensure equal access to the program, alongside creating socio-economic opportunities through employment, contracting, and training initiatives.
