In fact, Starlink — the satellite internet company owned by Musk's SpaceX — came in dead last in nearly every category across Canada, and things weren't any better in Quebec. This comes at a time when Starlink and its billionaire CEO are quickly losing favour across the country as Musk's connections to the U.S. government are hitting a nerve.
Let's talk numbers. According to Opensignal's March 2025 Fixed Broadband Experience report, Bell leads Quebec in both download and upload speeds, clocking in at 171.6 Mbps and 121 Mbps respectively. EBOX, which is also a Bell brand, topped the chart for consistent quality in the province — meaning users could count on steady internet for things like streaming, gaming and video calls.
It's worth keeping in mind that Opensignal's report doesn't separate Bell's Pure Fibre service from its standard Bell Internet product — and that could definitely skew the rankings a bit. A recent Speedtest report actually found that Bell Pure Fibre has the fastest download speeds in Canada, beating out Rogers and Telus. But on the flip side, regular Bell Internet had the slowest speeds of them all. So depending on which Bell service you've got in your area, your experience could be wildly different from the averages in this report.
Meanwhile, Starlink? Its numbers weren't even close. Across Canada, it averaged a sluggish 66.7 Mbps for download speed and a painful 13.9 Mbps for uploads. In terms of reliability, Starlink scored just 467 points out of 1,000 — way behind Rogers, which led the country with 709 points.
That being said, Starlink does have one thing going for it: It's often used in rural areas where regular land-based providers just aren't an option. So while its performance overall is the weakest by far, it might still be the best choice in the remote parts of Quebec where cable and fibre just can't reach.
For Quebecers who've been keeping an eye on the Starlink drama, these results might not be all that surprising. Elon Musk — who holds Canadian citizenship — has been under fire lately for his close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, especially with the ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. A parliamentary petition to strip Musk of his Canadian citizenship has already gathered over 375,000 signatures, accusing him of aiding efforts to "erase Canadian sovereignty."
In fact, earlier this month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford pulled the plug on a $100-million Starlink deal in his province, slamming the company for enabling "economic attacks" on Canada. While Ontario's decision may have been politically motivated, Starlink's poor internet performance makes it a hard sell for anyone — especially when local options are doing so much better.
Back in Quebec, Bell and EBOX are clearly standing out. Bell's massive lead in upload speed — more than four times faster than Rogers in Quebec — is a game changer for anyone who works from home or uploads large files. Meanwhile, EBOX not only won for consistent quality but also tied Bell for best video experience, making it a solid pick for streaming lovers.
Rogers, which dominates nationally in download speed, actually lagged behind in Quebec with a 114.9 Mbps average — trailing both Bell and TELUS. Videotron, Cogeco, Virgin Plus and Altima Telecom also showed up in the rankings but didn't manage to beat the top contenders.
At the end of the day, Quebecers have some solid internet options — and Starlink isn't one of them. Between slow speeds, unreliable service and a growing political storm around Musk, it's safe to say that satellite internet might be best left for the most remote areas. For everyone else, local providers are where it's at.
Love this? Check out our MTL Blog noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!
AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
