WYOMING, ON – The SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc. (SWIFT) is calling on all rural broadband stakeholders to submit comments in support of a review of the CRTC Broadband Fund’s eligibility criteria that it calls “restrictive”.
As Cartt.ca reported, SWIFT has asked the Commission to take another look at the way how it qualifies rural regions to receive millions of dollars in funding to deliver broadband to its residents under the Regulator’s $750 million Broadband Fund.
Specifically, SWIFT is proposing that modifications be made to the exclusive use of the 25 km hexagonal system used by Innovation, Science and Economic Canada (ISED) to map “served” and “underserved” areas as a base to determine CRTC funding eligibility.
SWIFT also developed a map (pictured) to illustrate the large number of underserved businesses and households in its project region of Southwestern Ontario, Niagara and Caledon that it says are ineligible for funding based upon the Commission’s assessment. (The bright/translucent lines are areas where SWIFT estimates Internet service providers offer service packages with speeds that meet or exceed CRTC’s 50/10 basic service target, while the dark hexagons are areas considered served/ineligible to apply to the Fund.)
“The Commission's approach to restricting eligibility of “partially served” areas reduces the overall quality of the Broadband Fund, leaving many gaps within the network that market forces are unlikely to address anytime soon”, SWIFT said in a statement.
Comments on SWIFT’s application to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2018-377 are due by February 8, 2019.
