Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will not rely on a satellite network one billionaire can turn off. He spoke to Politico in Montreal on Thursday, Oct. 30, after the Canada-EU summit.
"If you're connected to a satellite system that a billionaire, almost trillionaire, decides to turn off at one moment or not, that's not a good idea," Carney said. He added that Canada has not tied its defenses to that system, "nor would we, given the track record."
Who he meant
Carney did not name Starlink or Elon Musk. Politico's Brussels Playbook tied the remark to Ukraine's reliance on SpaceX's Starshield network. In mid-October, connectivity to terminals on fast-moving Ukrainian drones was cut. When a Politico interviewer said he had alluded to Musk's Starlink and Starshield in Ukraine, Carney replied, "Yeah," Tesla North reported.
Canada's timeline
Asked how long a replacement would take, Carney said: "Our Leo constellation will be operable in 2028. Europe's a few years later." He said Canada could help bridge to Europe's IRIS² network or pool the two constellations.
Tesla North reports that neither Musk nor SpaceX had publicly responded.
