Canadian Satellite Cuts Internet Access to 'Thousands'

Telesat's Anik F2 satellite is no longer facing Earth, leaving residents of Canada's three territories wondering where the internet went.

A Canadian satellite has decided to no longer face Earth, cutting internet and cellphone service for thousands of people in Canada's North. The Anik F2 satellite, designed and operated by Ottawa-based Telesat, has somehow turned around in its orbit and no longer faces North America. The satellite's spin means 37 communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut are without any internet or cellphone service this morning. Northwestel, the telecom company that uses Anik F2, said "thousands" of people in those communities are suddenly in the communications dark. Telesat says it can turn the satellite back around to face North America, as we should hope, because we can not imagine going through an Arctic winter without any access to the internet. We'd have to, like, read.