I saw a sign the other day….. I am in love with places I have never been to and people I have never met! ..Author Unknown.
This sure rings true of so many of us kountry Klub members, we love to travel and attend RV rallies where we look forward to meeting the new members and making lifelong friendships. Most of us think nothing of seeking out other Newmar owners in a campground, rest area etc. and strike up a conversation after all we always have something in common to chat about with Newmar owners.
As we write this report the border between Canada and the USA remains closed to nonessential travel. We are hoping it will open in time for us to attend the International Rally. With COVID affecting us and our loved ones’ in so many ways, we are looking forward to a better time when we can resume some of our favorite activities, like attending the International Rally.
Starlink: Everything we know about SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet in Canada so far. The service is currently available in regions across Canada as part of Starlink’s beta program. There has been significant interest and anticipation regarding Space X’s Starlink internet service in Canada over the past few months. For some, the hope is that Elon Musk’s satellite internet service will finally bring connectivity to underserved and rural parts of the country. The service essentially beams down internet service through satellites launched into orbit. Since its launch late last year, Starlink now operates in over six countries. In Canada, Starlink received approval for its Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) in October 2020 and gained regulatory approval from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in November. The service is currently available in parts of Canada as part of Starlink’s beta program. SpaceX began sending out Starlink beta invites in Canada in November. The company then opened up pre-orders on a first-come, first-served basis in February to all eligible Canadians. Below is everything we know about Starlink in Canada so far in terms of pricing, how to sign-up for the service and what speeds to expect with the beta program. Starlink is a little pricey the hardware for Starlink is priced at $649, shipping costs $65, taxes come to $92 and the service costs $129 per month. These charges bring the start-up cost to a total of $806. The Starlink Kit comes with a Starlink satellite dish, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables, and a mounting tripod. Speeds to expect during the beta program SpaceX notes that during beta, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mbps to 150Mpbs and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations over the next several months. It outlines that data speed, latency and uptime will improve dramatically as the company launches more satellites, installs more ground stations, and improves its networking software. In terms of real-time speed reports in Canada, results seem to vary in different areas. One user in Ontario says the average speed they usually get is about 50Mbps and the highest they’ve seen it go is 155Mbps. Another user in Manitoba says speed ranges from 80Mbps to 150Mbps, while a user in Alberta says the highest, they have seen it go is 180Mbps. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has plans to beam internet from space to moving vehicles like RV’s starting later this year.
For this edition of the Region Nine reports, it has been noted that each of the provinces have not changed anything since their last report. Therefore, it was decided to omit their reports in hopes things will get back to normal for the next edition. All our directors for Region Nine wish their members well and hope everyone is staying safe.
Dates to Remember:
Newmar Kountry Klub International Rally – July 19 to 24, at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds, Lewisburg, West Virginia. Reservations open now.
Region Nine, BC Provincial & BC Dogwood 25th Anniversary Rally – 4 nights – September 9-12, @ Canyon Hot Springs Resort, Revelstoke, B.C. Reservation coming soon – watch the Klub web site or Facebook for details.
As always, our door is always open, and we look forward to all comments and suggestions.
We meet, We part, We hope to meet again….
Dave & Joanne Killey (16152L)
Region Nine Directors
