CALEDON, Ont. — A petition by the town of Caledon in Ontario (about 50 kms north of Toronto) asking the federal and provincial governments to declare broadband Internet an essential service and free up unused or “dark” fibre-optic networks has garnered more than 2,000 signatures, says a media release posted Tuesday on the municipality’s official website.
The petition (which we reported on here) was launched in August and asked Dufferin-Caledon’s federal and provincial members of parliament, Conservative MP Kyle Seeback and Conservative MPP Sylvia Jones, to advocate on the town’s behalf as it sought to have broadband declared an essential service.
Now closed, the petition can still be read on the Change.org website.
It specifically asks Seeback and Jones to: “Take action through [their] respective governments to declare broadband as an essential service and help facilitate telecommunication access to existing infrastructure including underutilized or dark fibre optic network and hydro poles in support of affordable and reliable broadband expansion in all communities.”
Caledon mayor Allan Thompson says in the town’s press release: “Bringing broadband to Caledon has been a goal of our Council since day one of this term, if not before. It is one of the top priorities in our Work Plan and our residents and businesses have been demanding action. The pandemic has shown us that high speed internet is not a luxury for the few, it’s an essential service for all.”
(Here’s a quick video of Thompson delivering the petition to the constituency offices of Seeback and Jones, located down the street from each other in Orangeville, Ont.)
The town’s media release also highlighted some recent projects to bring high-speed Internet access to residents and businesses in Caledon, including:
- September 28, 2020: SWIFT announces $6.2-million investment in Caledon to support three fibre-to-the-home projects to bring broadband services to more than 990 underserved households and businesses.
- January 2020: Vianet and the Town of Caledon announce the implementation of a 35-kilometre backbone fibre network to be installed along the Caledon Trailway.
- October 2019: The Town of Caledon and Vianet announce a project to install more than 8 kilometres of fibre through the Bolton commercial district.
- February 2018: Supported by Caledon’s broadband levy, Caledon Public Library launches a collection of 50 Internet hotspots, growing to 100 in 2019. This service allows any resident with a library card to borrow a hotspot, providing them with unlimited Internet access for a one-week loan period. With more than 4,700 loans since its introduction and an average waiting list of 300 residents, the service has proven to be very popular.
