Late last week, rural internet provider Xplornet successfully launched its latest satellite, the ViaSat-2, into space.
According to Xplornet, the satellite will triple its current satellite Internet capacity — Xplornet uses satellites to offer Internet service to remote rural households throughout Canada. Additionally, the company says ViaSat-2 is the highest capacity broadband satellite ever launched.
Once ViaSat-2 reaches geostationary orbit 35,785 kilometers above the equator, a feat it’s expected to complete within the next couple of months, it will deliver estimated download speeds of up to 25Mbps. Xplornet says it expects the satellite to be fully operational and ready for consumer use by the end of Q1 2018.
“At Xplornet, we are extremely proud to invest in innovative, new technologies to dramatically improve Internet service for rural Canadians,” said Allison Lenehan, president and CEO of Xplornet Communications in a prepared statement. “These satellites will measurably improve service for our loyal customers, and provide new customers with more data at speeds not previously available in many parts of Canada.”
Xplornet recently entered the wireless carrier space as a result of the Bell MTS acquisition. As part of the terms of the deal, Bell was required by the federal government to move 24,700 of its customers to Xplornet. Additionally, the company agreed to transfer 40MHz of 700MHz, AWS-1 and 2500MHz spectrum to the rural Internet provider.
[source]Xplornet[/source]
