B.C. Ferries has been piloting Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink for crew members on its northern routes, but now says an upcoming procurement process will open the field to Canadian providers as well.
“We are assessing all available and affordable connectivity solutions to ensure our crews have reliable communication in areas with poor or no cellular connectivity, including whether Canadian alternatives can meet our needs,” senior communications advisor Sonia Lowe said Thursday.
Lowe said B.C. Ferries will soon be conducting a public procurement process to “determine the right provider to deliver the reliable operational communications support that’s critical for the safety of crew and that of our passengers.”
On Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford cancelled that province’s $100-million contract with Starlink after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports. Starlink was designed and is operated by SpaceX, a space technology company owned by Trump advisor Musk.
Last month, B.C. Premier David Eby said the province would prohibit Crown corporations from giving contracts for major projects to American firms, and that B.C. would no longer consider Starlink for completing high-speed internet connections for rural communities.
“We’re no longer looking at Starlink and I think that’s unfortunate,” Eby said in early February.
At the time, B.C. Ferries, no longer a Crown corporation but an independently managed, provincially owned company, already had a pilot project underway using Starlink.
It began the trial of Starlink’s satellite-based Wi-Fi service for its crews on some ships last year to address ongoing internet connectivity gaps. The cost and length of the contract was not disclosed at the time.
B.C. Ferries said it supports a “Team Canada” approach in response to any potential U.S. tariffs but providing connectivity for crew members is a safety issue.
“Whether at sea or in a terminal, we need systems that work in all conditions across the geography we operate,” said Lowe. “Through this process, we’ll be weighing reliability, safety benefits, cost, and long-term service.
B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union president Eric McNeely, a marine engineer, pointed to a recent crash in Bella Coola where an overnight ferry crew travelling to a rental accommodation went off the road on a notorious corner on a wintry night, slid down a steep embankment and landed upside down in a river.
The crew members might not have survived if not for good communications and the efforts of first responders, search and rescue crews and First Nations, said McNeely.
“It highlights the importance of communication.”
McNeely said the union advocated for Starlink a few years ago, and it was tried on routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
But the service was especially needed on northern routes — where crew may be on board for one or two weeks — going to Bella Coola, Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii, he said.
He said mariners want to be connected to their family, friends and the rest of the world and right now Starlink is providing that on the northern routes. Without the service, crews might not want to work in more rural and remote areas, which will affect the ferry service, McNeely said.
“But in light of the tariff war between the United States and Canada, if there’s alternatives that can provide the same quality service, it makes sense to also explore that,” he said.
The union will be discussing the matter with the corporation, he said.
