The Ford government’s ambitious pledge to connect every Ontario household to high-speed internet by 2025 has hit another roadblock. Provincial officials quietly confirmed last week that the cancellation of a key Starlink satellite internet program will delay rural connectivity goals by at least 18 months.
For families like the Johnstons in Huron County, this news lands with particular sting. “We’ve been hearing promises about better internet since my kids were in elementary school,” says Martha Johnston, whose two teenagers now struggle with university courses online. “They’re still waiting in the car outside the library to download assignments.”
The program cancellation marks another setback in Ontario’s uneven journey toward digital equity. Initially announced in 2021 with significant fanfare, the $4-billion “Ontario Connects” initiative promised to bring reliable internet to approximately 700,000 unserved or underserved households by the end of 2025.
Ministry of Infrastructure data obtained through freedom of information requests shows that only 41 percent of those targeted households have been connected so far. The province was counting heavily on the Starlink partnership to reach remote northern communities where traditional fiber infrastructure remains prohibitively expensive.
“The Starlink program represented our best opportunity to serve communities where geography makes conventional solutions impractical,” said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma in a written statement. When pressed about why the program was cancelled, the Minister cited “unforeseen technical limitations and budget constraints.”
However, internal documents suggest more complex factors were at play. A memorandum dated March 2024 from the Ontario Broadband Infrastructure Agency notes “significant contract disputes regarding service reliability metrics” and concerns about “long-term sustainability of the satellite-based model.”
The cancellation has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. “This government keeps promising the moon but can’t even deliver basic internet,” said NDP MPP Jeff Burch during question period. “Rural Ontarians are being treated like second-class digital citizens.”
Recent CRTC data reveals that while 90 percent of Ontario households have access to internet speeds of at least 50 Mbps download, that figure drops to just 65.3 percent in rural communities. The disparity represents what advocates call a “digital divide” that affects everything from education to healthcare and economic development.
For municipal leaders in affected communities, the announcement reinforces long-standing frustrations. “We’ve been planning economic development around these connectivity timelines,” says Mayor Sandra Thompson of South Bruce Peninsula. “Every delay costs us potential businesses and residents who move elsewhere.”
The province has already invested $1.8 billion in various broadband initiatives since 2019, according to Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office. Yet progress has been inconsistent across regions, with southwestern Ontario seeing faster deployment than northern communities.
Industry experts point to multiple factors complicating Ontario’s broadband rollout. “The challenge isn’t just funding—it’s coordination between levels of government, regulatory hurdles, and physical geography,” explains Dr. Catherine Middleton, Canada Research Chair in Communication Technologies at Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Starlink program, which would have leveraged low-Earth orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet to approximately 12,000 households in Ontario’s most remote regions, represented an innovative approach to overcoming geographical barriers. SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, declined to comment on the specific reasons for the partnership’s dissolution.
In response to the setback, the Ministry of Infrastructure has announced a “strategic reset” of its connectivity timeline, now aiming for 95 percent coverage by 2027. The revised plan will focus more heavily on expanding fiber optic networks through public-private partnerships with regional telecommunications providers.
For communities affected by the delay, the province has promised to implement interim solutions, including expanded mobile internet hubs at community centers and libraries. Critics argue these stopgap measures fall far short of the household connectivity originally promised.
The broadband issue transcends partisan politics for many rural residents. “This isn’t about who’s in power—it’s about keeping up with the modern world,” says George Richardson, who runs a small accounting firm in Grey County. “My clients can’t file taxes properly because their connections time out. That’s not a political problem; it’s a practical one.”
As Ontario recalibrates its broadband strategy, the experience highlights the persistent challenges in bridging the urban-rural digital divide. With remote work, online education, and digital healthcare becoming increasingly essential, the stakes of connectivity have never been higher for rural communities.
The province now faces the difficult task of rebuilding confidence in its broadband promises while developing alternative solutions for the communities left waiting. For residents like Martha Johnston, patience is wearing thin: “We don’t need more announcements. We just need to get online.”
