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Following its US debut, SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service is coming to Canada through mobile carrier Rogers Communications.
On Tuesday, Rogers began offering the satellite-to-phone service as a free beta to all Canadian users, similar to what T-Mobile has done with its own beta for US consumers.
The cellular Starlink technology uses orbiting satellites to beam data to phones located in cellular dead zones, keeping consumers connected even when no cell tower is nearby. For now, the service is restricted to SMS text messaging, but SpaceX plans on rolling out support for voice and video calls, along with data, over time.
(Credit: Rogers)Rogers is branding its implementation as “Rogers Satellite,” offering coverage across the southern half of Canada, likely because SpaceX needs more satellites in orbit to support service in the far north.
(Credit: Rogers)“Only 18% of the country is covered by traditional wireless networks. With this new technology, Rogers now covers over 5.4 million square kilometres within Canada, over 2.5 times more than any other wireless carrier,” the company says.
Rogers is inviting all Canadian users, including those on rival carriers, to sign up for the free beta, which lasts through October. The satellite service will work for subscribers on competing carriers who use a secondary eSIM. But currently, the Rogers Satellite service only supports certain phones, including the iPhone 13 to 16, Samsung Galaxy S25 models, and four Motorola handsets.
The carrier adds: “Once the beta trial ends in October, Rogers Satellite will be included at no additional cost to customers on the Rogers Ultimate Plan and will also be available for all Canadians for $15/month (US$11 per month). Canadians participating in the beta trial will receive a $5/month discount for the first 12 months.”
If you do sign up, Rogers will automatically start charging for access to the satellite service once the beta ends.
We’ve tried the cellular Starlink service in the US through T-Mobile’s beta and found it works as advertised, although the SMS messages can sometimes lag. T-Mobile plans on launching its own service on July 23, charging $10 per month for most US users.
The cellular Starlink service arrives amid growing competition in satellite-to-phone services. Apple has been offering its own satellite connectivity exclusively to iPhones. Meanwhile, Texas-based AST SpaceMobile plans on offering its competing solution through AT&T and Verizon, possibly as soon as next year.