Industry Canada is providing C$5.25 million (US$3.61 million) in funding for a C$17.5 million (US$12 million) project by Vistar Telecommunications to develop a next-generation satellite-based telematics system for wireless asset tracking.

Vistar said its communications technology will be able to offer an enhanced data communications backbone on which to build telematics products and services for commercial fleet operations, as well as increased security, particularly in remote locations.