VANCOUVER – Local governments' investments in community broadband are key to delivering cheaper, faster broadband that meets the CRTC’s #TalkBroadband objectives, says a new campaign spearheaded by consumer group OpenMedia.ca.
The group’s Community Broadband platform, which launched Monday, highlights various municipalities in urban and rural communities that have successfully rolled out affordable, high-speed Internet, most often through the deployment of fibre networks. According to the site, local government typically invests in a community broadband network and the Internet services are then sold by either the municipalities themselves, non-profits, small ISPs, co-operatives, public utilities, public-private partnerships, and other community organizations.
Municipally-run broadband can help to close the digital divide in Canada by connecting rural populations to state-of-the-art fibre networks, plus levels the playing field when “Big Telecom” won’t invest outside the city limits, continues the platform.
“Far too many areas have fallen behind, and it’s clear that we can’t rely on telecom giants to deliver faster, cheaper Internet for all of us,” said OpenMedia’s digital rights specialist Katy Anderson, in the news release. “That’s why we’re encouraging local leaders to step up and embrace the potential of community broadband. Community broadband’s return on investment is incredible — high-speed Internet keeps people in their communities, attracts new tech businesses, saves money, and brings ownership to the people who use it.”
