ISED says the initiative helps “Canadians who need it most”
WHILE THIS WEEK’S news the federal government has officially launched Connecting Families 2.0 was welcomed by some, critics believe the federal government is not doing enough to ensure Canadians have access to affordable Internet.
Connecting Families, which first launched in 2018 and expanded this month, is a federal government initiative to support access to affordable high-speed Internet in Canada.
When it first started it gave eligible low-income families access to a broadband subscription with a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps and a minimum of 100 GB of data per month for $10 per month. Connecting Families 2.0 now offers Internet speeds of at least 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload, and 200 GB of data per month for $20 per month.
Families receiving the maximum Canada Child Benefit qualify for the program. Additionally, seniors receiving the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement are now eligible as well.
Participation in the program by ISPs is voluntary.
ACORN Hamilton, which takes issue with the limited scope of the program, released a report today saying Connecting Families “is at best a patchwork of internet programs that fail to meet the needs of all low-income people.”
The organization, which is part of ACORN Canada (a community and tenant union of low- and moderate-income Canadians), conducted a survey with 192 respondents and concluded “A clear digital divide exists along income lines.”
ACORN Hamilton argues the federal government has failed to regulate Internet affordability and as such, wants the City of Hamilton “to create a city owned and controlled municipal broadband program,” to bring “free public WiFi to more of Hamilton’s parks,” and to provide free WiFi “on HSR buses, bus terminals and the LRT.”
OpenMedia also believes the federal government has not done enough in terms of Internet affordability, calling Connecting Families 2.0 a “band-aid” solution to the country’s telecom problems.
The Connecting Families 2.0 announcement “is great news for families who qualify… and a testament to how many people our broken telecom system will always leave behind,” said Matt Hatfield, OpenMedia campaigns director, in a press release issued earlier this week.
“A five-fold increase in download speeds in the new plan sounds great – until you realize that actually means that two years into the work from home pandemic, low-income Canadians are only now being offered the CRTC’s minimum speed target of 50 mbps down connectivity. Expanding the program’s coverage to some low-income seniors is good news — but the program continues to apply only to households who receive a government invite and are collecting the maximum government assistance rate, meaning many thousands of low income households will not receive any help,” Hatfield’s statement reads.
OpenMedia also took issue with the data limit announced for the plans.
“A 200 GB data limit for an entire household is unacceptable in 2022,” Hatfield said. “It will prevent low-income seniors and families from using the Internet to its full potential today, and steadily deepen the digital divide for them in the years ahead, as Connecting Families 1.0’s miserly 10 mbps service for 100 GB offering already has,” he said.
“Canadians need our government to introduce more meaningful competition that will provide permanent downward pressure on prices for everyone, not continue rolling out extremely limited plans whose data and speed limits are dated on the day they’re announced.”
National Capital FreeNet, an Ottawa-based non-profit ISP that petitioned the government to overrule the CRTC’s decision on wholesale Internet rates last year, criticized Connecting Families 2.0 because it argues not all ISPs are able to participate.
“As a non-profit ISP committed to digital equity, we think all programs that increase affordability help,” NCF said in a Twitter thread posted earlier this week. “Our concern is the structural inequities baked into the system. NCF can’t choose to participate in this “voluntary” program because of high wholesale rates set by [the CRTC].”
Cartt.ca reached out to ISED for a response to these criticisms of the Connecting Families initiative.
A spokesperson said via email the government and participating ISPs are helping “tens of thousands of low-income Canadians access the Internet. Through the initiative, ISPs participate on a voluntary basis to provide low-cost home Internet to low-income Canadians who need it most.”
In response to NCF’s comments, the spokesperson noted the wholesale rates “are currently subject to three petitions to the Governor in Council challenging them.
“The Government is following the process for such matters as required under the Telecommunications Act. We are not in a position to comment further at this time given this process.”
