Conference aims to find solutions to rural and remote broadband connectivity issues
A two-day conference at North Bay’s Canadore College is being held to discuss the future of broadband internet connectivity.
The Canada's Rural and Remote Broadband Community conference brings together groups looking at creating further opportunities for smaller, rural northern communities that need stronger internet connection.
Municipal leaders, rural advocates and internet service providers are discussing how to better connect northern Ontarians to broadband internet.
"Making sure that there's money available there to build and making sure that there's adequate supply chains and that the focus is on completing the build," said YorkNet general manager Laura Bradley.
YorkNet plans, builds, operates, manages and maintains a high-speed, dark-fibre network across York Region. It is focused on maintaining and expanding the region’s telecom network to support economic development and innovation.
YorkNet also provides internet service providers with open access to its network to enhance access to high-speed internet for residents and businesses. It currently provides service to about 40 rural and underserved communities in the York Region.
The goal of the conference is to better understand rural and remote broadband challenges and find new options to connect Canadians to stronger, faster broadband.
"A lot of the speakers have been talking about collaborating on solutions,” said conference founder and organizer Amedeo Bernardi.
“All levels of government, the vendors that are here look at new and innovative ways to look at connectivity."
The conference's keynote speaker is Bram Abramson, the new commissioner of the CRTC in Ontario.
"We know the existing processing can be demanding for smaller service providers,” Abramson said in a speech to the stakeholders.
“We want to make it faster and easier. That is hoping in many ways we are hoping you will come in."
The conference is addressing rural and remote broadband difficulties, an issue that came into sharp focus during the pandemic.
"COVID has raised the visibility of a problem many of us know,” Bradley said.
“I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and had to struggle with connectivity at that time. It lit the spotlight that many said needed to be there.”
According to the CRTC'S website, 91 per cent of Canadians have access to broadband speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) on download and 10 Mbps on upload and unlimited data connection. But only 62 per cent of rural communities have that strong connection.
"You've got to put those projects into gear. We have short building seasons,” said Bernardi.
“The farther north you go, the summer is very short."
The second day of the conference is focusing on Indigenous broadband projects and what can be done to further improve connectivity on reserves.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.