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 

We're less than 48 hours away from a critical CRTC hearing that will shape the future of the Internet in Canada and we need everyone on board to ensure we all get access to the affordable, world-class broadband we deserve. Here's what you can do.

CRTC Chairman calls for national broadband strategy. Is this too good to be true?

It is time for the CRTC to recognize that most Canadian households and businesses see broadband Internet as an essential service they cannot live without.

The CRTC is asking Canadians to answer a short survey on their personal use of telecommunications services at home as part of Let’s #TalkBroadband Internet.

Below is a guest blog from Carol Vlassoff, an OpenMedia community member and resident of Hawk Lake, Quebec, who faces barriers to affordable, high-speed Internet access in her community. It is widely believed that all people in today’s world must be able to access the Internet in order to exercise and enjoy their basic human rights. Affordable Internet access allows us to express our opinions freely, and modern telecommunications services should be equally available to all – not just restricted to certain individuals or communities. 

Bad news: Big Telecom giants are throwing every lawyer and lobbyist they have at a rapidly-approaching government hearing so they can block you from faster, cheaper Internet services. If they get their way, Canadians will be continue to be stuck with embarrassingly slow Internet speeds and fall even further behind the rest of the world. And we’re already living with what the CEO of Netflix called “third world” Internet access.

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.