OTTAWA – Last week Will Amos, the Liberal MP for Pontiac, Que. submitted a Private Member’s Bill asking the House of Commons to recognize the importance of reliable and accessible digital infrastructure to the economic development of rural regions and to the health and safety of Canadians.
He also asked the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be instructed to undertake a comprehensive study on rural wireless infrastructure, focusing particularly on:
- the underlying causes of, and prospective solutions to the gaps in wireless infrastructure deployment in rural Canada
- the regulatory role of the CRTC
- the fiscal and regulatory approaches to incentivize more significant investments in rural wireless infrastructure, and
- the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security should be instructed to undertake a comprehensive study on the public safety dimensions of wireless infrastructure deployment in rural Canada
M-208 will be tabled and debated in the House of Commons in early 2019.
“Since the beginning of my mandate, Pontiac constituents and municipal councils have consistently urged me to help address the lack of digital infrastructure, from broadband internet to wireless telecommunications″, said MP Amos. “Reliable and accessible digital infrastructure enables Canadians to grow their businesses, create jobs and connect with the global economy. It is also essential to the safety of Canadians, particularly during emergency situations. Canadians in rural and remote regions deserve dependable digital infrastructure.
“I look forward to working with municipalities in Pontiac and across Canada to demonstrate the urgent need for enhanced internet and cellular infrastructure″, adds Amos.
(Ed note; It’s certainly worth noting that the Pontiac constituency begins just outside of Gatineau and goes north and east, encompassing Chelsea, a community which is home to many senior civil servants who we’ve heard struggle with wireless connectivity. It also runs north through Lac-Sainte-Marie, Maniwaki, and numerous other cottage country areas which are often populated by many Ottawa-Gatineau decision makers – and where wireless service in some of the region is spotty at best. This private members’ bill is sure to get some serious attention in many quarters in the nation’s capital in the new year.)
