OTTAWA – The Government of Canada announced today is supporting affordable high-speed Internet in Canada through a second phase of the Connecting Families initiative.
“In partnership with 14 participating ISPs across the country that are voluntarily contributing to the initiative by offering $20 a month high-speed Internet services, the Government of Canada will help connect hundreds of thousands of low-income families and seniors to affordable high-speed Internet,” a press release explains.
The second phase of Connecting Families, which was originally announced last August, is introducing faster speeds, in line with the government’s connectivity strategy, which aims to ensure all Canadians have access to speeds of at least 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload.
“For $20 a month, Internet speeds will be five and ten times faster respectively than previously offered. As well, the data allotment is doubling, from 100 GB to 200 GB of usage per month,” the press release says. “This new phase will also broaden eligibility from families receiving the maximum Canada Child Benefit (CCB) to include seniors receiving the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).”
The service providers taking part in this program include Access Communications, Bell Canada, CCAP, Cogeco, Hay Communications, Mornington, Novus, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Tbaytel, Telus, Videotron and Westman Communications.
“Being connected to the Internet in this day and age is no longer a luxury. Simply put, it’s a necessity,” said Gudie Hutchings, minister of rural economic development, in the release.
“That’s why this initiative is so important: it’s helping Canadians get connected to high-speed Internet for $20 a month. This will not only help families and seniors stay connected to their loved ones but also allow for so much more, like access to online learning and health care services, which has been especially challenging in rural communities. Our government will continue to support initiatives like this for the betterment of rural Canada.”
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