Rather than compete for Nunavut internet customers, Qiniq is connecting with Starlink to bring in a ‘broadband revolution’ as its marketing lingo claims.
“The mere availability of Starlink and the wide adoption of it is clear how desperate there is a need for change,” said Dean Proctor, chief development officer with parent company SSi Canada, to Rankin Inlet’s hamlet council Monday, Aug. 26.
He was there as part of the consultation process for an application Qiniq has made to the CRTC for funding, seeking a letter of support.
Qiniq has received no additional funding or assistance to improve broadband in Nunavut since 2015, Proctor said.
“And there’s been no funding at all of any kind in Nunavut, substantial amounts anyways, since 2016, so it’s long past due,” said Proctor.
With CRTC funding, Qiniq claims it can improve speed to 50/10 Mbps, grow capacity with Starlink as its backbone until fibre is available, lower prices and improve access to reliable, high-quality internet.
Qiniq has announced it is adding two Starlink Enterprise terminals in every community and services will be moved over to Starlink in the next few months.
However, that doesn’t mean Qiniq users will see the kind of data allowance personal Starlink devices offer.
“We have to pay for usage,” said Proctor. “Under the current pricing with Starlink, we could never offer an unlimited package because it’s not unlimited for us.”
To counter that, Proctor claims going with Qiniq would save on electricity costs from Starlink.
But if and when fibre comes in, “obviously” Qiniq would use it too, with satellite as backup, said Proctor.
Hamlet council passed a motion to support Qiniq’s application to the CRTC.
ᐱᖏᖓᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᖁᓴᐅᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᕿᕕᖃᐅᑎᖓᓂ, ᕿᓂᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᑕᐅ ᓕᒃᒥ ᓴᕿᑎᖁᓪᓗᒍ
”ᓴᖏᓂᖅᓴᖅ’ ᑭᓇᐅᔭᐃᕈᑎᓂᖓᓄ.
”ᒪᓂᒪᔪᖃᑎᐊᖏᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓴᑕ ᓕᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓕᐊᓂᑯ ᐱᔪᒪᓂᖅᑕᓕᒃ ᐊᓯᔨᖁᔨᓂᖅ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᓐ ᐳᕐᑐ, ᐱᕝᕙᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᔨ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒧ SSi ᑲᓇᑕ, ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᐅ Hᐊᒪᓚᑯ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄ ᓇᒐᔭ, ᐊᒌᓯ 26.
ᑕᐃᑲᓂᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᖁᔨᕗᖓᕈᑎᒥᒃ ᑕᑕᑎᕈᒥ ᕿᓂᑯ ᐊᕿᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᓂ CRTC ᐃᑲᔪᓯᐊᐊᕈᑎ, ᕿᓂᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑎᑎᖃᑯᑦ.
ᕿᓂᖅ ᐃᑲᔫᓯᐊᓚᐅᖏᒻᒪᑦ ᐅᕙᓘᓃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᕿᒋᐊᕈᑎᒥᒃ ᐃᑭᐊᕿᒥᕕᖓᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ 2005-ᒥᓂ, ᐳᐊᕐᑐ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ.
”ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔫᓯᐊᓚᐅᕋᑎ ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐱᓪᓗᒍ, 2016ᒥᓂᒪ, ᑭᖑᕙᑰᔪᖅ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐳᐊᖅᑐ. CRTC ᐃᑲᔪᓯᐊᑯᑦ, ᕿᓂᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓱᑲᒃᑎᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓄ ᓱᑲᓂᖓ 50/50mps,ᐊᖏᒡᓕᒋᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᓴᑕᐅ
ᓕᒃᒥ ᐊᓯᐊᓂ ᒪᓂᒪᔪᖃᓚᐅᖏᓂᖓᓂ, ᐊᑭᒃᖠᓂᖅᓴᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᑎᖃᕐᓗᓂ, ᓱᑲᓂᖅᐹᖅ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᑯ.
ᕿᓂᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓚᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂ ᓴᕼ ᓕᒃᒍᑎᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᓕᒪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᑕᐅᔪᑎᖏᑦ ᓄᑕᐅᓗᑎ ᓴᑕ ᓕᒃᒧ
ᐊᑐᖅᑐᒥ ᑕᕿᑦᑎᓐᓂ.
ᐱᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᑐᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᓂᕐᒥ ᑕᑯᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᔨᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᑭᓕᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᑕ ᓕᒃ ᐱᖁᑎᐊᓂ ᒪᓂᒪᐃᓱᖓᓂ.
”ᐊᑭᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᕗᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳ ᐳᕋᑐ. ”ᐊᑐᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑭᖓᒍ ᓴᑕ ᓕᒃ, ᒪᓂᒪᐃᔪᓇᕋᔭᖏᑦᑐᒍ ᐃᓱᖃᖏᑐᒥ ᐃᑭᐊᕿᕕᑰᕈᑎ ᓱᖃᐃᒪ ᐃᓱᖃᖏᑦᑑᖏᒪᑦ ᐅᕙᑎᓐᓄ.”
ᐱᓪᓗᒍ, ᐳᕋᑐ ᕿᓂᑯᓂᓗᓂ ᐃᑯᒻᒪᖁᑎᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᓗᐊᕐᓇᕋᔭᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᑭᖓᒍ ᓴᑕ ᓕᒃ ᓴᓂᐊᓂ.
ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᖃᐃᓇᔭᖅᐸᑦ ᓱᑲᓂᖅᓴᖅ, ᐅᔨᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ’ ᕿᓂᖅ ᐊᑐᕋᔭᕐᒥᔭᖓ, ᑭᖑᕕᐅᑎᒋᓗᓂᐅ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐳᕋᑐ. Hᐊᒪᓚᑯ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏ ᑐᓂᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᖏᕋᓯᒋᐊᕈᑎᒥᒃ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᒥᒃ ᕿᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᑎᒥᒃ CRTCᒧ.