CRTC directs telcos to invest $650 million fund in remote and rural broadband
The British Columbia Connectivity Co-Operative is hosting a petition in favour of the CRTC's recent decision to use deferral account funds to enhance broadband infrastructure in remote and rural communities and access to telecommunications for persons with disabilities.
This is a good thing, and people in these remote and rural communities need help, badly.
Please sign the petition at www.petitiononline.com/BC3/
(Please forward this on to friends, colleagues and other lists as you see fit to get as many people as possible involved).
Background Information:
On February 16, 2006 the CRTC announced their decision to provide up to $650 million for broadband development in rural and remote communities, and for persons with disabilities.
The CRTC backgrounder can be found at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/2006/r060216.htm
The decision itself is available at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-9.htm
Since then a number of consumer advocacy groups lead by urban media "sources" have expressed dissent to the decision, stating that the "over-charges" should be "refunded" to consumers instead of used to support infrastructure development in remote and rural communities. Please consider completing their online survey that can be found at:
http://www.piac.ca/survey/crtc_deferral_account_what_consumers_want
The British Columbia Connectivity Co-Operative has started a petition supporting the CRTC's decision.
If you support this decision, please sign the petition to voice your support at http://www.petitiononline.com/BC3
From the BC3's position paper:
"The availability of broadband services is critical to the social and economic development of rural and remote communities. Targeted action is required to ensure that these communities will have reliable and affordable access to these services. Broadband services have taken on increased importance in health, education, business, government, and communications to the point where these services are now as important as basic telecommunications, and arguably more important to those in rural and remote areas. Furthermore, the provision of broadband access is critically important to lower barriers that rural and remote communities have to accessing the new networked economy. If we do not assist these communities now, they will fall further behind the urban areas and only create a larger problem later. 26% of the Canadian workforce lives outside the major areas and 40% of the natural resource exports are generated in these areas as well. This economic engine must not be allowed to fail."
Broadband is essential to our economy as a whole, and for rural and remote social and economic development.
Matthew Asham
British Columbia Wireless Network Society
www.bcwireless.net
+1 604 484 5289 x1006
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