Rogers says SpaceX filings point to carrier partnerships

Rogers Communications chief executive Tony Staffieri said SpaceX’s public filings with the federal government indicate the company plans to work with Canadian wireless carriers, not compete with them, as Starlink pushes into phone service.

Staffieri made the remarks on Rogers’ third-quarter earnings call, in answer to an analyst question from UBS about how Starlink could change competition in Canada, iPhone in Canada reported. He said the filings with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada show SpaceX intends “to work with wireless operators” here.

The comment contrasts with the United States, where SpaceX has bought spectrum for Starlink Mobile and has reportedly considered selling phone service directly to consumers.

Staffieri said Canada is a harder market for that approach. Spectrum bands tied to recent U.S. purchases are “extremely limited” or unavailable in Canada, he said, and are largely used by the public sector. He also pointed to a smaller population concentrated in cities and to foreign ownership rules that cover spectrum.

Rogers said it is “proactively deepening” its satellite-to-mobile work with Starlink and “intends to lead Canada.” No new features, pricing or timing were announced. Rogers Satellite has been available for almost a year and supports texting, text-to-911 and select apps such as WhatsApp and Google Maps. Coverage in the United States runs through T-Mobile.

On home internet, Staffieri described Starlink’s market share as “very small” and mostly in rural areas. Rogers resells Starlink to small business customers and adds its own services. He called satellite a “complementary evolving product” alongside Rogers’ wireline and terrestrial wireless networks, and said enterprise uses for connected devices are “tremendous.”

Rivals are moving as well. Bell is building its own satellite ground station in Quebec, and Telus has completed its first satellite-to-phone test with AST SpaceMobile, covering voice and data.

The remarks came as Rogers reported its latest results. Our earlier coverage looked at the company’s free cash flow and its plan to charge a 1.6 per cent fee on credit card bill payments.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.