It’s a Christmas miracle: Broadband Internet has been declared a basic service for all Canadians.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has set new targets for internet service providers to offer customers in all parts of the country download speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps, and to also offer the option of unlimited data.
Previously, local landline telephone service was classed as “basic” or essential by the CRTC.
The CRTC estimates two million Canadian households, or roughly 18 per cent, don’t have access to those speeds or data. The CRTC’s goal is to reduce that to 10 per cent by 2021 and down to zero in the next 10 to 15 years.
To achieve that, the CRTC will require providers pay into a fund that’s set to grow to $750 million over five years.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-internet-essential-service-1.3906664