Broadband for all by 2030?
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 19 March 2019 14:18
- Written by editor
Paov,
BREAKING: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s newly unveiled budget includes a clear goal of bringing at least 50/10 Mbps speed... Internet access to every single person in Canada by 2030.1
This means we have a historic opportunity to win the national “broadband for all” Internet access we’ve spent years fighting for. But there are many crucial details to figure out to ensure that this program meets the public’s needs and that taxpayer money isn’t just put back into Big Telecom’s pocket.
Will you chip in to help finish the push for affordable high-speed Internet access for all?
We’ve been pushing the government for universal Internet access for years.2 The Internet is essential for participating in today’s connected world, and every single person in Canada deserves affordable, reliable, high-speed access.
But Canadians pay some of the highest prices in the world for Internet.3 Nearly 20% of the country, especially rural and indigenous communities, can’t afford or don’t have access to a minimum of 50Mbps broadband.4 And even though Canada’s government keeps identifying Internet access as essential, it hasn’t done enough to close that digital divide.
At the end of 2016, we won an important victory when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared broadband access a basic service for everyone in Canada, with options for unlimited data, at least 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload available to all, and the latest technology accessible from all homes.5
Finally, the government is putting funds forward to actually achieve full access across the country – but it’s far from a done deal.
We have to make sure that the billions the government has earmarked for broadband access go to help the communities that need it most – not to make Big Telecom even richer. We’re going to pressure Parliament to bring in new small Internet providers to help lower prices and invest in infrastructure where it’s needed most.
OpenMedia is ramping up our campaign to hold the government accountable to this new strategy and also make sure that the voices of our communities are heard. Will you chip in to help bring the national broadband strategy to fruition?
Yes, I’ll donate to bring affordable broadband Internet access to all of Canada.
Thank you for everything you do.
Marie, with OpenMedia
Footnotes
[1] Federal budget to target Canada-wide high speed internet by 2030: CBC
[2] We won! Internet is a basic service for all Canadians!: OpenMedia
[3] How Canada’s Internet, wireless rates compare with international prices: Globe and Mail
[4] The State of Broadband Connectivity in Canada’s Rural and Remote Regions: Internet Society
[5] Closing the Broadband Gap: CRTC
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