BC Ferries Merges With Starlink – What Does It Mean For You?


BC Ferries in British Columbia, Canada, partners with Starlink from SpaceXto provide Wi-Fi for ferry crews while at sea.

However, it is unclear whether this will lead to the return of in-flight internet for passengers, which was discontinued in 2021 due to poor performance.

At the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade event, CEO Nicolas Jimenez addressed the challenges of offering reliable internet on ferries. While Starlink now offers more affordable maritime internet solutions for crew, extending this service to passengers presents a much greater challenge due to the large number of users on major routes.

Jimenez stressed that providing Wi-Fi for 30-40 crew members is very different from accommodating up to 1,400 passengers. He said BC Ferries doesn’t want to restore online service if doing so will increase ticket prices CHEK news.

For now, the focus will be on testing Starlink for crew use. Jimenez said the company needs time to evaluate its partnership with Starlink before reconsidering passenger service.

BC Ferries initially introduced on-board Wi-Fi in 2010, but by 2021 the number of users outgrew it, leading to its removal. At the time, the company said restoring service would be expensive, and those costs would likely be borne by passengers.

Jimenez also pointed to rising operating and capital costs for BC Ferries, predicting that fares may need to increase by 30% by 2028 to keep up with demand.

Starlink is supported by cruise lines that carry many more passengers than BC Ferries’ largest fleet. It seems that the ferry corporation continues to justify itself, as many have criticized that it has become a bloated organization with too many managers.





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