Politicians and business leaders spoke about the importance of connectivity and attention to rural communities at an April 10 panel in Ottawa. The Recognizing Rural Communities discussion was led by former MP and Conservative Party interim leader Candice Bergen and consisted of two panels, one with politicians and one with industry stakeholders. Why it matters: […] Read more
Tag Archives rural internet
MPs and business leaders push for rural connectivity in Canada
Labour, internet access among the challenges in rural communities discussed at the recent Recognizing Rural Canada event
Comment: Rural connectivity gap widens
Council of Canadian Academies says the social and economic costs are significant
The release of yet another report highlighting the deepening disconnect between urban and rural Canada over internet connectivity made me think of telephones. Growing up in rural Manitoba, where our telephone “party line” was shared by six large families, connectivity was often a topic of discussion. Sometimes the line was in use when you wanted it. […] Read more
Billion-dollar boost for broadband internet
Provincial and federal governments put more money into linking rural areas
The Canadian and Ontario governments are investing more than $1 billion in new money to remove “Can you hear me now?” from the lexicon of rural and Northern Ontario residents. Why it matters: Reliable, high speed internet is critical as more rural residents and farmers conduct business on-line. As part of the province’s 2020 budget […] Read more
Comment: Universal internet access helps make food more sustainable
Consumers who want to reduce the carbon intensity of their food should advocate for better rural internet. Producers know most agricultural towns have broadband, but in the country, cell service fades. Telematics produced by farm equipment have to be stored, getting pushed to the cloud at the farmyards while IoT devices use networks, like LoRaWAn. […] Read more
Telus turns its gaze to farm country
Company moves to establish better connectivity for free-flowing data – from the farm to consumer plates
Tech giant Telus now has an agriculture division focused on increasing food security, safety, and productivity. According to company representatives, part of achieving these overarching goals involves establishing better connectivity and promoting tech adoption on the farm. Why it matters: Rural internet access and the inability to efficiently share data between technologies continue to be […] Read more
Editorial: Internet access needs to be rural development priority
The time at home because of COVID-19 has laid bare the deficiency of rural internet. In a world where we all needed good connectivity, many didn’t have it. Those who had it found it slowed down, according to OpenMedia, an internet watch organization. Rural internet has slowed down since the pandemic hit, compared to urban […] Read more
Opinion: COVID-19 highlights need for reliable Internet access
COVID-19 should serve as a watershed moment that ushers in an era of nation-wide internet access. For years, Canadians living in rural areas have complained of poor internet. These complaints were not entirely ignored, as government’s have made significant investments to improve rural broadband. But the digital divide still existing today highlights how imperative it […] Read more
Large companies push back against federal plan to encourage internet competition
Companies have said they will cut back their plans to expand coverage to rural areas and small towns
Large providers of internet backbone across the country are scaling back their investments in rural and small towns in retaliation to the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) imposition of lower wholesale rates for internet. Bell Canada says it will cut 200,000 households from its rural expansion program because the CRTC decision cost it $100 million. […] Read more
First rural strategies aim at high speed internet
There are few details yet beyond internet announcements
The federal government has launched two strategies designed to create economic development in rural Canada. Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, released Rural Opportunities, National Prosperity concurrently with High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy. She said consultations pointed to high-speed broadband as the most immediate need in rural areas. Why it matters: About […] Read more
Xplornet buying YourLink
One of Canada’s biggest providers of rural broadband is set to expand its space in the Saskatchewan market by buying rural high-speed wireless provider YourLink. New Brunswick-based Xplornet Communications on Monday announced an all-cash $28.75 million deal with Victoria-based Vecima Networks for the “remaining assets” of Vecima’s YourLink business. YourLink, based in Saskatoon, is a […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
