Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a timely petition.
Whereas:
Access to high-speed internet is not equitable across the country;
Service is inadequate or simply non-existent;
The pandemic has aggravated problems and regional inequities with respect to telework, telemedicine and distance education;
Inadequate service is having a serious impact on the economic recovery;
This tool is essential for the economic development of small, medium and large businesses, municipalities and organizations;
Many regions are ready to roll out the network but cannot because of barriers involving applications for permits to access support structures (poles) belonging to businesses that own these sites; and
In 2016, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared high-speed internet an essential service.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to invest heavily and quickly, starting in fall 2020, to expand rural broadband connectivity by meeting the 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload targets set by the CRTC in 2016—