broadband Archives

Study finds Rural Connectivity Benefits People, Economy

The Kootenay Connectivity Benefits Study, released by BC Stats, finds high-speed internet connectivity expansions in rural, remote and Indigenous communities positively impacts both local and provincial economies in the short and long term. Read the Full Report Here: Kootenay Connectivity Report 2022 BC Stats conducted a study of the Kootenay Economic Region to examine the…

A Digital Divide Persists Between Rural and Urban Canadians

Are you getting the internet speeds you’re paying for? A digital divide persists between rural and urban Canadians. CIRA is mapping this divide through their Internet Performance Test (IPT) platform so they can help communities understand how best to tackle internet access issues in their area—but they need your help! Run an IPT today! It’s…

Rural Development Success Story

Originally Posted on: Nelson Chamber of Commerce Over the last five years, Canada has been a high-tech job creation machine. Year after year, the Toronto area alone has generated more technology jobs than San Francisco, Seattle or any other U.S. city. Vancouver has seen a similar economic boom. Both cities, with top universities and hospitals,…

Kaslo InfoNet’s Tim Ryan

Kaslo, BC, a small, isolated West Kootenay village surrounded by rugged mountains and a 120 km-long lake, is home to one of the world’s smallest community-owned and operated, fibre-optic-enabled Internet Service Providers — Kaslo InfoNet Society, or KiN. KiN’s Tim Ryan speaks to the challenges faced by KiN and how they overcame them in this…

Can Canada’s Tech Boom Move to Rural Areas As Millennials Seek Quality of Life?

In this article, the CBC’s Don Pittis poses the question of whether the country’s tech boom can — and will — have an impact on rural Canada. Over the last five years Canada has been a high-tech job creation machine. Year after year, the Toronto area alone has generated more technology jobs than San Francisco, Seattle…

Canada’s Rural Economic Development Minister Invites Public Ideas On Ways to Expand Rural Opportunity — News Release

Ottawa, Ontario, March 25, 2019 – Canadians living in rural and northern communities have unique needs. Access to better and more modern infrastructure, affordable housing, and faster, more reliable Internet Service can make a big difference in the quality of life for rural Canadians. The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Canada’s newly-appointed Minister of Rural Economic Development, is…

Internet Expands in Rural BC & First Nations

The B.C. government has shared details on funding to bring high-speed internet connections to more rural and Indigenous communities. The province announced more than $11 million in funding through the Connecting British Columbia program, which will reach 33 communities. The main areas to receive fibre-optic internet cable will be Haida Gwaii, the areas between Whistler…

Haida Gwaii homes to get high-speed fibre optic internet

A $4.9-million project will connect hundreds more Haida Gwaii homes to affordable high-speed internet, reports Andrew Hudson of the Haida Gwai Observer. Thanks to funding announced Tuesday by the Canadian and B.C. governments as well as Gwaii Trust, local internet provider Gwaii Communications will soon start extending the islands’ fibre-optic internet network and offering free…

Ontario’s Rural Broadband Challenge

Ontario’s rural broadband challenge is highlighted in this article by Dave Reevely, originally published in the Ottawa Citizen. Running subsidized Internet lines to rural Ontario has an important thing in common with the provincial government’s plan to pay for new natural-gas pipes to the same places: There’s private money to be made. We can’t…

Do-It-Yourself Rural Internet?

Do-it-yourself rural Internet? Ramona Pringle penned this interesting opinion piece on rural communities who have stepped up to provide their residents with high-speed Internet for CBC News. If you live in rural areas of Canada, chances are you’ve developed a coping ritual for waiting for email attachments to load. Maybe you hit “download” and…