Canada’s taxpayer-backed push to break its dependence on Elon Musk’s Starlink still needs his SpaceX rockets to get off the ground — even as Prime Minister Mark Carney vows to move away from the billionaire’s satellite internet service.
Meanwhile, the Starlink contract in Ottawa with SpaceX has ballooned from the original $2.26 million to around $28.9 million in authorized value (that’s a $17.2 million amendment during Carney’s time).
Federal procurement records obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF) show Shared Services Canada (SSC) extended the agreement to February 2027 and is seeking another extension to February 2028, directly contravening Carney’s stated intention to “diversify away from” Starlink.
The $29 million figure is the authorized contract value, not the amount actually spent. SSC confirmed that, as of September 30, 2026, Ottawa had paid SpaceX around $15.7 million before tax.
