Connecting the North Part IV: Satellite capacity still a broadband barrier

By Perry Hoffman

SINCE THERE IS ONLY ONE fibre link to the North, the majority of the smaller communities have long had to rely on satellite technology. While it does provide that connection to backbone infrastructure in the south, there remain capacity constraints which challenge service providers’ ability to offer faster speeds and more monthly capacity.Northwestel’s new satellite backhaul network will connect to Telesat’s Telstar 19 Ka-band bird, which is scheduled to launch sometime in the second quarter of 2018. It will provide much needed bandwidth and improved services but Jeff Philipp, president and CEO at SSi Micro Ltd., said it will still...