By lowering wholesale broadband Internet rates, the CRTC is lowering barriers for small Internet providers to enter the market!

The new coordinated broadband fund is a critical commitment from the government, but missing details on the implementation of the plan leave doubt as to how far this promise will go.

Our best chance in decades to put the public interest at the heart of the laws that govern Canada’s Internet is here. This is how we seize it.

Canadians are calling on Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains to send the decision back to the CRTC for reconsideration immediately

Lower cost options are desperately needed to ensure that people are not left behind

The need for affordable cellphone plans in Canada is essential to bridge the digital divide and provide more Canadians with the array of socio-economic benefits the Internet affords.

It’s goodbye, but it’s not the end. Thank you for everything, and let’s keep working to build a more just world, online and off.

This is an incredible, historic moment. The CRTC has just ruled that high-speed Internet is now a basic service, essential to our everyday life.

Regulator steps in to significantly reduce wholesale high-speed access rates charged to independent ISPs, after finding telecom giants ignored accepted costing principles

Canadians now have a unique opportunity to end mean-spirited data caps as the CRTC announces public consultation, and your OpenMedia team is on board to ensure affordable home broadband and wireless services for all.

Telecom companies are keeping Canadians on a short leash when it comes to data caps.

At the CRTC’s broadband hearings, some ISPs are arguing internet speeds are fine. Those same companies deliver some of the slowest services to customers.

OpenMedia commended for bringing a generational change to the CRTC’s broadband basic service offerings hearings.

We delivered feedback from over 40,000 people to the CRTC, calling for action to ensure 100% of Canadians have affordable, high-speed Internet access 

Data shows Canadians pay some of the highest prices in the industrialized world for middle of the road service.

Announced investment is a welcome start, but the devil will be in the details.

Germany will have affordable internet connections of at least 50 Mbps by 2018. The Harper government promised 5 Mbps by 2019. Enough said... Which party do you think will do a better job at ensuring Canadians get faster, cheaper Internet? Let us know in the comments below! Article by Peter Nowak for Alphabeatic

CRTC's recent ruling on high-speed fibre networks ensures a significant step forward for Canadians’ ability to access affordable Internet options independent of Canada’s large telecom providers. You got us here by speaking out, and believing that we could build a better Internet for Canada. And decision-makers at the CRTC listened! Article by Michael Geist for the Toronto Star

DEBATE! Is the Internet a human right? What do Canadians stand to gain from the CRTC's basic services hearing? (faster, cheaper Internet, maybe?) Our own Josh Tabish went on CBC's 'The 180' to argue YES! against Roslyn Layton, Ph.D. fellow in Internet economics at the Center for Communication, Media and Information Technologies at Aalborg University in Denmark. Check out this article to hear the full 15 minute debate recording and read a summary of the discussion: Article by the CBC

We Won! As you may have heard, a major ruling on Wednesday from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ensures a significant step forward for Canadians’ ability to access affordable Internet options independent of Canada’s large telecom providers. In short, the ruling creates fair rules forcing Big Telecom to make their digital infrastructure available to small independent ISPs (i.e., outside of Big Telecom) at a reasonable rate, so they are empowered to sell ultra-fast fibre Internet services to Canadians. This means faster, cheaper fibre connections could be coming to your household soon!

Over the past couple months, our small team at OpenMedia has been helping get the word out on a big project designed to measure the health of Canada’s Internet: CIRA’s Internet Performance Tool. But today, our friends at CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority) have partnered with NCIX, a major Canadian retailer of computer components, to bring you an awesome contest – and we thought you might want to know about it.

Article by Christine Dobby for The Globe and Mail  A coalition of groups representing consumers, seniors and anti-poverty activists is calling on Canada’s telecom regulator to force industry players to expand access to high-speed Internet for low-income households and those living in rural areas.

Ensure Canadians get faster, cheaper Interner while there's still time! Speak out at UnblockCanada.ca Article by Stefania Seccia for Vancouver 24hs.  This Tuesday is the deadline to submit initial comments on the fast-approaching hearings for cheaper, faster Internet — and so far 25,000 people have signed a petition and scores of others intend to hold a Vancouver rally in support of it.

Canadians deserve faster, cheaper Internet choices independent of Big Telecom. Even U.S. Bourbon makers at Jim Beam have figured this out, and are calling on THEIR leaders in the U.S. to increase ISP choice. Read about their call below and call on our leaders to do the same in Canada at UnblockCanada.ca/ Article by Brian Fung for the Washington Post What does a centuries-old whiskey company have to do with the Internet?

Right now, we face a unique opportunity to kickstart Canada’s Internet, and improve the level of service Canadians can access into the 21st century. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission has begun their review of what constitutes basic Internet service in Canada, and their deadline for input is rapidly approaching. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to stand together, and demand access to faster, cheaper Internet for 100% of Canadians. For years, Canada has had one of the least ambitious digital strategies in the industrialized world, with Internet experts like Michael Geist asking, “Why does Canada still lack a coherent broadband goal?” I mean, think about this: in 2015, the U.S. government set their basic broadband speed to be 25Mbps. What’s Canada’s target? 5 Mbps… By 2019. This is embarrassing, but the government can change our targets if we speak out now. It’s no secret that Big Telecom has you locked into some of the slowest and most expensive Internet service in the industrialized world. It’s not fair: we deserve the same level of service as our international counterparts. When it comes to Internet speeds, Canada doesn’t want to be just a contender. We want to be the fastest team on the ice. Now, the good news is that the CRTC’s review of basic telecommunications services is rapidly approaching and could ensure all Canadians have access to faster, cheaper Internet for future generations. But we’re short on time. Add your name NOW, and we’ll send your message before their final deadline.

This week, experts at the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) – the body that oversees Canada’s .ca domain – released their 2014 Factbook, which chronicles Canada’s advancement on Internet issues over the past year. The Factbook investigates how well-positioned Canadians are in the areas of access, cost, and usage. The report shows Canada continues to slip further behind our global counterparts. For example, Canada has crashed from 2nd place in 2001 on broadband penetration amongst industrialized nations to 16th place in 2014.