Liberal Government Throne Speech 2020
Assuring Canadians that broadband internet for all is still a priority
OTTAWA - September 23, 2020 - Today’s Throne Speech from the Liberal government provides renewed hope that better internet for Canadians is on its way. “The Government will accelerate the connectivity timelines and ambitions of the Universal Broadband Fund to ensure that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet.”
“There’s a reason that some Canadians don’t have access to reliable broadband internet,” says Scott Holmes, President of CanWISP. “It’s not a simple problem to fix. It will take effort and investment from many parties and cooperation on many levels. We applaud the commitment to accelerate the program design and implementation of the Universal Broadband Fund.”
The need for consistent broadband internet in all parts of the country has never been more obvious than in the past months. The work-from-home mandate has collided with inconsistent internet service. Stories of remote work success have been tempered by frustrating video-conferencing experiences of others and even broken meetings of Canadian Parliament.
“Our members stand ready to leverage their existing networks with new capital and government assistance,” says Holmes. “Internet is a driver of economic development everywhere. The most dramatic impact will be realized when rural Canadians have the broadband internet they deserve.”
CanWISP (Canadian Association of Wireless Internet Service Providers / Association des fournisseurs de service internet sans fil)
CanWISP represents Canadian Wireless Internet Service Providers. We participate in legislative, regulatory and policy-informing processes on behalf of our member ISPs. Our members provide fixed-wireless Internet access to households and business across Canada on networks that they have built, operate and maintain. Our members live in, invest in, and employ people in the predominantly rural communities they serve. For further information, visit www.canwisp.ca.
