Rural communities suffer fallout from CRTC decision

By Drew Spoelstra,

Executive Member, OFA

To The Haldimand Press

In another blow to the promise of better broadband access across rural Ontario, Bell Canada recently announced it was cutting back on its wireless home internet expansion into rural areas by 20%.

The telecom giant’s move was in response to a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ruling that smaller internet service providers would now pay lower “wholesale” prices for Bell’s infrastructure.

Advertisement

 

It’s a complicated situation, and one the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is watching closely.

We have been strong advocates for reliable high-speed internet services across rural Ontario. Our businesses, schools, and residents are at a competitive disadvantage without dependable broadband. The CRTC agrees, having declared broadband internet access a basic service in Canada in December 2016.