By Linda Stuart
Rogers announced Tuesday the launch of a beta trial of Rogers Satellite, a new satellite-to-mobile text messaging service that all Canadians can participate in at no cost.
“With Rogers Satellite, Rogers now covers over 5.4 million square kilometers — that’s over 2.5 times more than any other Canadian wireless service provider,” reads a Rogers press release.
Starting July 15, all Canadians on any mobile carrier can sign up for the Rogers Satellite beta trial for free. Participants must have a compatible smartphone and unlimited messaging plan. The Rogers Satellite service will initially support text messaging and text-to-911, and it will expand to support apps, data and voice services, including 911 voice services, according to Rogers’s press release. Rogers’s website said text messaging will initially be supported in Canada south of the 58th parallel (excluding specific regions) in most outdoor areas where the user has an unobstructed view of the sky.
Once the beta trial ends in October, Rogers Satellite will be included at no additional cost to subscribers of the Rogers Ultimate Plan and will also be available for all Canadians for $15 per month. Canadians participating in the beta trial will receive a $5/month discount for the first 12 months, Rogers said.
Rogers Satellite automatically connects customers’ phones in areas without cell service (in supported areas as noted above). A Rogers Satellite terms and conditions webpage says the service “offers satellite-to-mobile connectivity directly from a low earth orbit satellite constellation to your smartphone using one or more third-party satellite partners combined with Rogers mobile network technology.”
Rogers has been testing satellite-to-mobile technology over the last couple of years with both Lynk Global and SpaceX’s Starlink. It successfully completed Canada’s first satellite-to-mobile phone call with Lynk Global in December 2023.
A Rogers spokesperson told Cartt on Tuesday that Rogers is taking a multi-vendor approach to Rogers Satellite, and it plans to work with other satellite-to-mobile providers, including Canadian providers, as this emerging technology advances. The spokesperson said vendors are at different stages of deployment, and confirmed that Rogers is launching its satellite-to-mobile beta test with Starlink, saying it is the most advanced right now.
Rogers said in its press release that the company will continue to test and optimize Rogers Satellite services throughout the beta trial. Rogers has updated its mobile network coverage map to include a satellite layer.
“We’re proud to introduce this ground-breaking technology to help Canadians stay safe and connected in more places,” Tony Staffieri, Rogers president and CEO, said in the press release. “Earlier this month Rogers celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first wireless call in Canada, and this new technology represents the next big leap in wireless connectivity. We’re proud to continue our legacy of innovative firsts and to connect Canadians in more places.”
“We continually invest to bring Canadians the best networks and the most coverage,” said Mark Kennedy, chief technology officer of Rogers. “Now, with Rogers mobile spectrum paired with satellite technology, Canadians can turn their smartphone into a satellite phone to stay connected and access text-to-911 in some of the most remote parts of Canada.”
Photo borrowed from Rogers’s website
