# And internet available for all



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

The CRTC has passed an edict that high speed internet service should be available to all citizens in Canada (that can afford it).
Just like the telephone of old (remember the rotary dial days?), CRTC have labelled it a"basic service"..and all service providers must be able to make it available within 5 to 10 years in remote areas.
Good news for those that want to watch Netflix and reach out by emails.



> With today's ruling, the CRTC has set new targets for internet service providers to offer customers in all parts of the country download speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps, and to a*lso offer the option of unlimited data.*


http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-internet-essential-service-1.3906664

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/broadband-internet-access-rural-1.3898358



> The federal government is investing up to $500 million to bring high-speed, broadband Internet access to 300 rural and remote communities by 2021





> Some of the cash will be used to provide basic "backbone networks" and a portion will go to upgrade existing networks to bring Internet access to households and businesses that do not have speeds of at least 5 megabits per second.


Government has set aside a 500million fund for ISP to expand their networks to rural communities.

from the financialpost article May 4/2016


> Furthermore, all Canadians will soon be able to connect to the Internet at even higher speeds. The telecommunications industry is investing billions of dollars every year to develop new technologies and deploy the necessary infrastructure — not because of any comprehensive national strategy devised by civil servants in Ottawa, but because of competitive pressure. *Companies are simply adapting to consumer demand and trying to attract more customers by offering better and faster broadband services at affordable prices. *
> 
> In this context, for the CRTC to *declare that broadband is an essential service and to set new speed targets is simply irrelevant.*


----------



## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

There are cities in Canada that don't have access to 50Mbps down let alone 10 up. Then there are deserts in Africa that get faster mobile data than that.

A lot of economic activity has moved online and Canada has fallen behind. More and more digital nomads out there work anywhere that has decent internet


----------



## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

I've heard there are some residences in Canada that don't have a water, sewage or natural gas connection yet. Can that be true? Maybe they can drop a fibre optics line in the trench when they run those services in.
CBC is talking about federal jobs that aren't available to some Canadians because they require access to high speed internet. I've heard there are other jobs that require you to have your own tools or even some kind of post-secondary education. When will this inequality end.


----------



## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> I've heard there are some residences in Canada that don't have a water, sewage or natural gas connection yet. Can that be true? Maybe they can drop a fibre optics line in the trench when they run those services in.
> CBC is talking about federal jobs that aren't available to some Canadians because they require access to high speed internet. I've heard there are other jobs that require you to have your own tools or even some kind of post
> 
> have to be practical in a city like Toronto everyone should have access to sewer water gas power what ever. On the other extreme A single house 500 miles away from everything would not be practical. Then there is everything in between some would be practical to hook up to grid others would not.


----------



## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> I've heard there are some residences in Canada that don't have a water, sewage or natural gas connection yet. Can that be true? Maybe they can drop a fibre optics line in the trench when they run those services in.
> CBC is talking about federal jobs that aren't available to some Canadians because they require access to high speed internet. I've heard there are other jobs that require you to have your own tools or even some kind of post-secondary education. When will this inequality end.


I heard there are other jobs that require you to have a car. When will the automobile dependency end?


----------



## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> I've heard there are some residences in Canada that don't have a water, sewage or natural gas connection yet. Can that be true? Maybe they can drop a fibre optics line in the trench when they run those services in ...


Yes, they do exist ... there was talk thirty + years ago about running sewers but as the growth has been in other areas, as of this summer - no water, no sewer and no natural gas. Those that setup propane have tanks where like the water, trucks deliver it.




lonewolf :) said:


> ,.. have to be practical in a city like Toronto everyone should have access to sewer water gas power what ever. On the other extreme A single house 500 miles away from everything would not be practical ...


I'd have to count but there's at least six houses in about three hundred feet. There's lots more on the about five mile stretch to where water, sewers and natural gas are there.


Cheers


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

and you have to wonder why..with Ontario Hydro One raising the rates so high (delivery etc) that the Federal gov't isn't declaring that having lights and power to run your fridge and furnace isn't "basic essentials" as well.

Without basic (and affordable) electricity, you can forget about any high speed internet.
Mme Wynne and her stooges are going to take us down that road soon, I'm sure.


----------



## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

too bad they can't mandate internet and cell phone rates...


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

indexxx said:


> too bad they can't mandate internet and cell phone rates...


A couple years back the CRTC did put some restrictions on cell phone providers to ease up with customers that wanted to cancel their contracts due to steep ripoff rates being charged when they accepted the "free phone" deal. 

That cRTC decision allowed cell phone users to cancel their contracts after 2 years, rather than be bound to servitude for 3 years as the BIG THREE had setup fat lucrative contracts that always ended up in their favour.

That was a good move for consumers, because now, you can get out of pretty much most contracts
after 2 years without paying big penalties even with a "free phone" included. 

I'm sure as time goes on, competition will drive down the cell phone rates as well. 
It's only a matter of time, and how much the public is willing to pay. 
If they get gouged even once, most will be looking to switch as soon as the two year contract is
over and go into a plan without having to go back into a contract.

After all..if the phone is free..there is always a catch, and people are willing to (at least initially) get it with $0 dollars rather than pay hundreds for it as in some cases..which the service provider will make up with higher cell phone rates.

Some service providers are very sneaky, willing to offer free phones to more than one member
of the same family, mom, dad and any kids, hoping to cash in on the lucrative surfing data charges, once the minimum monthly GB plan is exceeded. After all if the family gets 4 free phones at some initial cost to the
service provider. you can bet your socks that they will recover their initial cost of the phones within the 2yr
contract period and then some.


----------



## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

carverman said:


> A couple years back the CRTC did put some restrictions on cell phone providers to ease up with customers that wanted to cancel their contracts due to steep ripoff rates being charged when they accepted the "free phone" deal.
> 
> That cRTC decision allowed cell phone users to cancel their contracts after 2 years, rather than be bound to servitude for 3 years as the BIG THREE had setup fat lucrative contracts that always ended up in their favour.
> 
> ...


Yes, that is all true, however if I'm not mistaken Canada still has the highest cellphone rates in the world.


----------



## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

I live in the most densely populated part of Canada, the Hamilton - Montreal corridor and I don't have water, sewer, gas or high speed internet. I live between Hiway 401 and Lake Ontario between Cobourg and Grafton. When I moved here in 1997 Bell promised me high speed internet in 3 months. I'm beginning to think they were lying.


----------



## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

indexxx said:


> Yes, that is all true, however if I'm not mistaken Canada still has the highest cellphone rates in the world.


Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the 2 year plans increase in cost to compensate?


----------



## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> I've heard there are some residences in Canada that don't have a water, sewage or natural gas connection yet. Can that be true? Maybe they can drop a fibre optics line in the trench when they run those services in.


Anyone in rural areas has their own well and sewage. It's pretty common and not that big of a deal. I would much rather be self sufficient that way especially for cleaner water. You can also get gas delivery but most would just burn the abundance of renewable wood energy in much of rural Canada

In the cities where it makes sense to have high speed internet we lag behind much of the developed world now because there is no incentive for the most profitable telcos in the world to improve their services. Meanwhile the economy is advancing in most developed countries to be more and more connected..


----------

