TORONTO – Rogers, Telus and SaskTel were quick to endorse Connecting Families, the new initiative designed to help make the Internet affordable to low income Canadians, announced Wednesday by Innovation, Science and Economic Development minister Navdeep Bains at the Canadian Telecom Summit.
Connecting Families will invest $13.2 million over five years, starting in 2017-2018. For $10 per month, up to 220,000 qualifying households will receive an Internet package of no less than 10 Mbps download speeds (or the fastest available) and a minimum of 100 GB of data usage each month, with no equipment or installation fees. Families must receive the maximum Child Care Benefit in order to qualify.
Computers for Success Canada will develop a secure online portal that will enable eligible participants to access the low-cost Internet service from participating ISPs while protecting their privacy. With the cost of computer hardware also a barrier for some, up to 50,000 computers will also be made available to eligible families through the Computers for Schools (CFS) program.
Rogers said that its participation in the program will build on its existing low-cost high speed Internet program Connected for Success, which marked its fifth anniversary this week and now has 250 housing partners (including 100 co-ops) across its cable footprint in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Ontario.
“This next step is about continuing to invest in our communities to connect Canadians with what matters to them and to the digital economy”, said Rogers’ president and CEO Joe Natale, in a statement. “Bridging the digital divide through low-cost high-speed Internet will open a world of possibilities to even more families – whether engaging with classmates and teachers, accessing online employment resources, or connecting with friends and family at home and abroad.”
Telus spearheaded a pilot program, Internet For Good, in 2016 to in British Columbia and Alberta for close to 30,000 low-income single-parent families, though the qualifying period for that program ended last year. The company said Wednesday that the Connecting Families initiative will allow it to extend Internet for Good to more families across B.C., Alberta and Quebec.
“As part of our long-standing commitment to putting our customers and communities first, the Telus team is leveraging our technology in combination with our culture of giving, to bridge social, economic and geographic digital divides,” said Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle. “Through programs like Telus Internet for Good, we are leading the way in connecting at-risk Canadians to the tools and opportunities they need to realize their full potential. We are pleased to join the Government of Canada, our industry colleagues and not-for-profit partners to create Connecting Families and help more Canadians thrive in our dynamic digital society.”
SaskTel, which is one of the original ISPs behind Connecting Families (in addition to Rogers, Telus, Bell, Shaw, Cogeco, and Videotron), has worked with CFS for 25 years to refurbish and distribute computers to Saskatchewan schools.
“We’re proud to bring this program to Saskatchewan to help bridge the digital divide for thousands of less fortunate families in our province,” said SaskTel acting president and CEO Doug Burnett. “With our expansive High Speed Internet network, low-income families from all over the province will be able to access this program and take advantage of the opportunities that the internet has to offer.”
The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) also praised Minister Bain’s speech and what it described as the Feds’ “continued focus on the need for increased broadband infrastructure investment.”
“The CCSA continues to be very encouraged by the government’s commitment to broadband investment,” said CCSA CEO Jay Thomson, in a statement. “The Connect to Innovate program is already making a difference in communities where, because of market realities, government help is needed. The Minister’s remarks today are an important indicator that the government shares our view that, in today’s economy, high-speed broadband infrastructure is just as important as roads and bridges.”
