Rogers launched a new satellite service in partnership with Starlink today that lets Canadians send texts in almost any part of the country.
Today, the service is launching with a free beta for all Canadians, which will remain free until the end of October. After that, it will be $10 per month for a year (if you were in the beta), and for others, it will cost $15.
To sign up for the beta, choose the ‘Register now for the beta trial‘ button from Rogers’ website. Currently, it’s listed as $0 and is named the ‘Satellite Messaging Plan.’
Once you do that, you must ensure your phone is compatible with eSIM. This is pretty easy, but it’s annoying that Rogers’ dropdown menu includes all kinds of random bundles they sell, even if they have no bearing on satellite connectivity. After choosing your phone, Rogers wants you to enter an EID, but I’d skip this step and just set up with the QR code you’re presented with later.
After that, add the plan to your cart and check out. It should be free for the remainder of the beta. If you set up your device online, Rogers also waives the $80 connection fee. Be aware that Rogers will run a credit check on your account when you sign up.
Once you sign up, you’ll be sent a QR code you can scan to activate your eSIM card. Once you set it up, you’ll need to make sure your phone is set up to automatically switch between your SIM cards when you lose service. This will ensure your phone automatically switches to your satellite plan when you hit a mobile dead zone. You can learn how to do this on a variety of phones on Rogers’ website.
Overall, this plan is relatively easy to sign up for, and once you set it up, it should be easy to use. It’s not as straightforward as Apple’s built-in satellite service, but this is a great option if you’re on Android.
Source: Rogers
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