Many rural Canadians would disagree
Bell CEO Mirko Bibic touted Bell’s rural internet would stand up to satellite internet services (like Starlink) “any day.”
As reported by The Canadian Press (Via Yahoo Finance), Bibic commented while responding to questions from shareholders following the release of BCE’s Q1 earnings. Specifically, Bibic spoke about Bell’s investment plans to improve its fibre internet offerings and expand rural coverage to better compete with rivals like Rogers.
When asked about challenges from low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet services, such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink program, Bibic explained that Bell delivers rural internet using a residential wireless service. That service is set to reach one million rural or remote households from Manitoba to Newfoundland, according to Bibic.
“And I stand that up against Starlink or other LEO (low Earth orbit) competitors, any day,” Bibic said.
Except, it’s not hard to find complaints online about Bell’s abysmal internet speed. A quick search on Twitter reveals plenty of complaints:
Hey @elonmusk please hurry to Muskoka. @Bell internet “speed” is killing me! #Starlink pic.twitter.com/aWIoT6Gwp2
— kaj ballantyne (@kajballantyne) April 29, 2021
Hey @bell we need to talk. I’ve been paying $135 a month for the fastest internet you could give me (FIBE 100) and it’s always been trash. For two years it’s been unreliable and slow. I just found out this is where my internet comes from… pic.twitter.com/LH9i1SEyns
— Jesse Driftwood (@jessedriftwood1) April 28, 2021
Hopefully Starlink internet for me. I have pre-ordered. My Bell is only getting worse. Please ship this soon!!!!
— Darrell Park (@SpydaDee) April 24, 2021
Starlink is available in beta for Canadians right now and requires a heft upfront cost to get up and running. However, early reports indicate the service is well worth the cost, even with the less reliable speeds and latency available during the beta. Beta users can expect speeds varying from 50Mbps to 150Mbps and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations.
However, Musk has said that speeds will double to around 300Mbps later this year, and in the future, Starlink customers will be able to use the service while on the go.
Those curious about Starlink can check out everything we know about the service in Canada here.
Source: Yahoo Finance