CRTC launches proceeding on broadening scope of Broadband Fund

By Ahmad Hathout OTTAWA – The CRTC is proposing Thursday to open the $750-million Broadband Fund to bankroll the maintenance of networks in remote areas, improvements to network resiliency, and to have a separate funding stream for indigenous-focused projects. The commission is also proposing that all future projects provide, at a minimum, the basic service objective speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload, whereas previously it was at least half of that. It is also asking whether the fund should have an increased emphasis on mobile wireless projects and possibly incorporating mobile wireless into the name. Since the...