Improved connectivity for underserved communities is essential, OFA director says
By Jackie Clark
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The government of Ontario will invest $150 million to expand broadband and cellular service in underserved communities, including rural and remote areas, a June 3 release said.
The funding is part of the Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON) program under the Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan.
“Having increased access to better cell and Internet coverage has always been an important issue for farmers and other rural residents,” Drew Spoelstra, an executive member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, told Farms.com. Poor access to communications infrastructure “really sets us up at a disadvantage.”
The physical distancing protocols put in place across the province have further emphasized the need for improved broadband and cell service. Rural residents need this infrastructure to conduct business and children need these resources to complete distance learning activities.
“Now that we’re into the COVID-19 situation, everything is being done over the Internet. Meetings, customer calls, and sales calls … you’re doing online or on video chat. Even just connecting with family and friends is being done online. We’re really seeing the disparity,” Spoelstra said. “The differences between rural and urban coverage have really been amplified during the pandemic.”
That disparity has underscored the fact that cellphones and Internet are essential services and should be treated as such by the government, he added.
“Anything that can improve (farmers’ and agri-business owners’) ability to connect with people and improve our ability to do business through faster speeds or better connections with our equipment will really help our bottom lines and make it easier for us to do business,” Spoelstra explained.
The “ICON program, when leveraged, has the potential to result in an investment of up to $500 million in total partner funding to improve connectivity in underserved and unserved areas,” the release said. “Applicants, including telecom companies, municipal governments, First Nation communities, and non-profits, will be invited to submit innovative proposals and lend their investment, expertise and experience to improve connectivity in communities across Ontario. The province will fund a portion of each approved project.”
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