Obligation to serve: CRTC sets Internet speed threshold, upholds basic telephone service

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has set a speed target for broadband Internet and has maintained the obligation for telephone companies to provide basic home telephone service in what’s widely known as its ‘obligation to serve’ decision released late Tuesday.In what will surely be a surprise to the country's telephone companies, the Commission mandated that all Canadians have access to broadband speeds of at least 5 Mbps for downloads and 1 Mbps for uploads by the end of 2015.“A well-developed broadband infrastructure will serve as a gateway for Canadians to participate in the digital economy,” said CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein, in...