OTTAWA – The Connecting Families program which was announced in June by Navdeep Bains, Minister of Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) at the Telecom Summit, in Toronto was unveiled this week.
The government is not subsidizing ISPs to provide the low-cost Internet service but is investing $13.2 million over five years to refurbish and deliver up to 50,000 computers to eligible families through the Computers for Success Canada program, as well as to develop a secure online portal through which eligible families can sign up for the initiative and access the low-cost Internet service and/or a refurbished computer.
This initiative was quickly supported by major ISPs (some of which were instrumental behind the scenes in helping craft it) and will allow low-income families access to a broadband subscription at a rate of $10 a month and give access to a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps (or the fastest available if less than 10 Mbps) and a minimum data of 100 GB per month.
It was an initiative that was first announced in the 2017 Federal Budget.
“Despite the importance of high-speed Internet, almost half of Canadian households with an annual income of $30,000 or less do not have access. The Connecting Families initiative brings together public, private and non-profit sectors to ensure that more Canadian families have access to the Internet,” says the Connecting Family website.
Families who currently receive the maximum Canada Child Benefit (CCB) will be randomly selected by the Government of Canada to participate in this initiative. Some of the selected families have already received a letter that will contain an access code that they will need to sign up for the initiative through a secure online portal. Some providers have begun to receive orders to that effect.
The program will run from November 2018 to March 2022. More details will become available soon. The Minister’s office has not yet made the announcement official, but the online portal is up and running.
The participating Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are Bell Canada, Cogeco, Coopérative de câblodistribution de l’arrière-pays (CCAP), Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Tbaytel, Telus and Vidéotron. All are voluntarily contributing to the initiative by offering low-cost Internet service to eligible families.
Rogers and Telus already run low income broadband programs and they will therefore continue to do so. Rogers’ Connected for Success started in 2013, in Toronto and Telus’s Internet for Good was started in 2016 and serves 30,000 households in BC, Alberta and Eastern Quebec with 25 Mbps and 300 GB, an offer much higher than the Connecting Families official threshold.
“The internet opens up a world of possibilities that all Canadians should be able to access — it’s critical to our country’s success in today’s digital economy. We’re proud to be participating in this new initiative to expand internet access to families who may struggle to afford it as part of our commitment to bridge the digital divide,” said Peter King, senior director, corporate social responsibility, Rogers Communications, in a release today.
“We are happy to see the major players in telecom come together around a shared goal: improved Internet access for low-income families,” says Manon Brouillette, president and CEO of Vidéotron. “Because of this initiative, many kids will be able to access content, knowledge and digital tools to support their development. In today’s plugged-in world, being connected can make all the difference. True to its commitment to innovation and its deep roots in the community, Videotron is proud to contribute to this program and help give these families the best possible experience.”
“The Internet is a vital service that is often taken for granted as accessible for all, and through programs like Telus’ Internet for Good we are leading the way in connecting at-risk Canadians to the tools they need to be successful,” said Telus CEO Darren Entwistle in the company’s press release. “The Telus team is incredibly proud to stand alongside the Government of Canada, our industry colleagues, and not-for-profit partners to create Connecting Families.”
