Starlink Cellular Service Launches in Canada, Leaving SpaceX’s Involvement Unclear

In the realm of telecommunications, there appears to be a conspicuous omission regarding SpaceX’s involvement in Rogers Communications’ new satellite-to-phone service. Despite officially launching the beta version of SpaceX’s cellular Starlink system in Canada on Tuesday, Rogers Communications has been noticeably circumspect about acknowledging SpaceX, Starlink, or Elon Musk during promotional efforts for the service.

Instead, Rogers is marketing the feature as “Rogers Satellite,” a name that suggests an air of self-development, contrary to the reality that Rogers is one of several SpaceX partners collaborating to deliver the cellular Starlink service to consumer smartphones. T-Mobile in the US, for instance, has adopted the moniker “T-Satellite” for similar promotional purposes, yet concurrently recognizes the Starlink brand.

The discrepancy between Rogers’ approach and that of T-Mobile is noteworthy, particularly when considering T-Mobile’s public recognition of Starlink during a Super Bowl ad in February to promote satellite connectivity, set to launch through T-Mobile on July 23rd. In contrast, SpaceX or the Starlink name is absent from Rogers’ official website, support page, and Tuesday’s announcement, prompting speculation among social media users that Rogers may have developed its own satellite constellation.

Meanwhile, others have observed a distancing from Elon Musk’s brand, with one user on Facebook commenting, “I didn’t see the word Starlink in the press release once. Lol.”

Rogers did not respond to a request for comment. However, the carrier is launching the beta service at a time when Canadian sentiments towards Musk have grown strained due to his former close alliance with President Trump, who remains engaged in a trade war with Canada. The antagonism reached a peak when Ontario Premier Doug Ford terminated a Starlink contract in March as retaliation against Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canada.

The backlash also impacted third-party Starlink dish installers in the country, who faced online criticism and lost sales. Moreover, SpaceX recently reported that its Starlink customer base in Canada has grown to over 500,000, up from 400,000 a year ago; however, one analyst said that this growth indicates a slowdown in interest.

Given the prevailing sentiments and potential backlash, it is plausible that Rogers is strategically avoiding any association with Elon Musk or SpaceX for its cellular Starlink service. The Canadian carrier plans to officially launch the satellite connectivity for phones following the conclusion of the beta program in October.