By Parry-Sound Muskoka MP Scott Aitchison
We’re done waiting!
That’s the message I’ve been getting loud and clear from constituents who are fed up with the low quality and high cost of rural internet service.
“The time for being patient is long gone,” reads one of many hundreds of emails I’ve received.
“We’re six months into a pandemic that’s made the internet more important than ever. But not only has the federal government failed to ensure people can afford to connect, it’s publicly prioritizing Big Telecom’s profits over the interests of Canadians.”
I couldn’t agree more.
The current state of rural internet service in far too many parts of Parry Sound-Muskoka is simply unacceptable. It’s too expensive, it’s unreliable, and, in many cases, it’s simply not available.
Our internet challenges aren’t just inconvenient. It’s essential.
This year, we’ve all been reminded of the importance of connectivity as we work our way through the COVID-19 crisis.
Working from home, educating our kids, running our businesses—these are the fundamentals. We need affordable, reliable, and accessible internet access to run our lives these days.
Yet because of the high cost of internet access, I’ve even had constituents tell me they’ve had to choose between educating or feeding their kids.
The status quo is simply unacceptable.
That’s why I have made it a priority to bring up this issue in Parliament. In fact, my very first question as an MP in the House of Commons was about rural internet service in Parry Sound-Muskoka.
I have raised this issue several other times, and in other forums, including social media. I have received no positive answers from the Liberal government.
I have even invited the federal Minister responsible for rural internet and broadband service to come to our area to witness first-hand what it’s like to be cut off from the internet.
We’re still waiting for an answer.
To make matters worse, recently the Trudeau Cabinet actually overturned a CRTC decision that would have benefited consumers.
For our part, the Conservative Opposition will continue to do our best to hold the current federal government accountable for both its actions, as well as its inaction.
Meanwhile, our Caucus Shadow Minister on rural connectivity undertook a national consultation last spring with Canadians—a dialogue we promoted locally—to try to better understand the priorities of taxpaying consumers.
And the results were clear:
We need more competition in the consumer marketplace to keep prices down;
We need direct federal investment in key priority underserviced areas to improve access;
And we need to develop better local, provincial and national partnerships to get the job done now.
(Photo of Parliament Hill by festivio on Pixabay. Photo of Scott Aitchison courtesy of Scott Aitchison.)
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
Click here to support local news
Scott, I couldn’t agree with you more. Have you reached out to Norm Miller MPP? In my opinion the Conservative Provincial Government is also not making affordable, and reliable internet a great enough priority either.
We need the internet to learn, entertain, and to stay connected. It’s time we recognize internet access as an essential service and support our communities by making access available and affordable. Thank you MP Scott Aitchison for advocating on our behalf.
Hi Bill Wright,
It looks like you should have purchased a different home.
(Even though the lines run to a pole two away from my house…
down the street one over, and that my neighbour two houses up the street has their service.
will be getting Lakeland Networks fibre service! He’s lucky…the line ends at the post by his garage on the next street over..So near! So far!
DD
Scott, it’s been a serious issue for years. Don’t blame the Liberals. 1. It doesn’t look good on you and 2. Parry Sound has been Conservative for decades. Some improvements have been achieved due to Bell and Rogers receiving heavy subsidies for towers. Both Bell and Rogers however, refuse to allow other providers high enough on the towers to provide service. So, if you want more competition, look at where you are spending the money.
Most rural roads will never see fibre optic. It’s far too expensive and the infrastructure (poles) is too old. So, it’s either improved satellite or more strategically placed towers. Preferably not controlled by Bell.
Inform yourself on all the alternatives before you start throwing money at the problem.
I quite agree with our Honorable Member Scott! I live right in downtown Huntsville and cannot get fibre service for internet or TV.
Bell has been telling me for over a year that I can “Go Fibe”…and yet, when I recently contacted them, and spent at least an hour on the phone with their rep, I’m told that no, I cannot have that service. (Even though the lines run to a pole two away from my house…apparently they are not “lit up” due to missing some supply sections.)
So, next I see that Lakeland Networks has run lines down the street one over, and that my neighbour two houses up the street has their service. Again, I’m told that service cannot be provided to my house.
Today, I spoke with another neighbour, who said he will be getting Lakeland Networks fibre service! He’s lucky…the line ends at the post by his garage on the next street over..So near! So far!
I am absolutely frustrated by the lack of reliable high speed fibre service, and the snail’s pace at which it is being expanded..almost to the point where I’m thinking of installing two tin cans and a string over to the Town Hall to tap into their system..They are that close to me!!..lol
So much for the Downtown core of Huntsville having fibre High Speed service. Bah!
Scott will need all the back-up we as constituents can give him if the high speed internet in rural Muskoka is ever going to become a reality. Here on So-Ho-Mish Road in Emsdale the fibre optics line was strung in March, and I was told this was part of bringing high speed internet to the area. Since then nothing. I have repeated asked Bell when the necessary connections will be made but without success. In October 2019 when I asked the question in the Bell store in North Bay, one of the staff looked in their computer and told me connection was scheduled for the first quarter of 2020, so when the line was strung it seemed likely to become a reality. Not so.
I recently wrote to two main board Bell directors in Montreal asking if firstly they would review their hub rates, as now children would be using the hub based internet to connect to the Near North District School Board’s remote enhanced learning programme because of concerns of Covid-19, and secondly would they give an accurate forecast as to when an high speed internet service will be available in the Emsdale area. I had a call from a lady in the executive level in Bell, who told me she submitted a report to senior management out lining my concerns, so though she herself wasn’t able to give me any answers the management is aware of the issues. More letters to senior board members from constituents would help to back up Scott.
M/s Maryam Monset MP is the Minister of Rural Economic Development, and within her responsibilities is rural internet service and she has made a number of public statements, the execution of which would have positive consequences, but without ministerial follow up have not, it seems, resulted in any positive action. In March 2019 the Minister announced the Universal Broadband Fund would be created, in June 2020 she announced the Governments $1.7 billion Universal Broadband Fund would finally open in the coming days. It is now three months since the Minister made that announcement and the fund is still not open for applications. Since then the Minister has said she is thinking of making rural high speed internet service an essential service but to date no further action has been taken by the Minister to follow up on any of the statements she has made.
If we don’t keep the pressure up nothing will happen, that is a given. Write to the Bell board, write to the Minister, write to the Shadow Minister, write to the MP, demand replies. Make sure it is a major issue at the next election, MP’s want to save their seats, just don’t give up, because the funding is there for the major communication companies to access and build the high speed internet service which the Minister has said she is thinking of declaring an “ESSENTIAL SERVICE’.
To add to Rob’s post.
https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/starlink-starts-to-deliver-on-its-satellite-internet-promise/
I started with Bell’s 52 k wired service. Moved on to a Rogers Rocket hub, that had outrageous pricing and mediocre service.
Now I am trying Xplornet and their service is faster than the rocket hub from Rogers and cheaper too so that is a step in the right direction.
I contact Bell regularly as their ads promise to provide “fiber” but sadly, I think the only “fiber” I’m likely to see from Bell, at my location during my lifetime might be if they send me a box of Cheerios which I could at least eat. It seems more likely that I’ll be having tea with Spock and Captain Kirk with the Enterprise parked on my lawn than I’ll ever see fiber hook up from Bell.
A case of not enough customers to warrant them installing the service. One can see Bell’s point of view when you consider a private company must make decisions regarding cost vs profit but maybe this is where the government should step in with some direction and assistance.
Mine cuts in and out all the time. The more you pay the worse the service gets. My Cogeco service has gone up 5 times in the last year and a half !
See https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/mobile/northern-towns-push-to-approve-elon-musk-s-starlink-satellite-internet-project-1.5112594
I have 4 kids at home during this pandemic, trying to be able to educate them, but not with the internet service that is available where we live. They are way behind in school due to lack of service.
We need, not want better service in Parry Sound, Muskoka rural areas.
We live in a condo in Bracebridge. When built the condos were wired for Cogeco only. Considering most residents are seniors there is no competition or other options. We pay for very expensive and poor internet and tv service.
How many times do we talk about lousy internet in Muskoka/Parry Sound, yet here we sit. With continued lousy internet.
We have to use a Bell “hub” which is a glorified cell phone, insane prices. And incredibly slow speeds. Yet we live less than 8 minutes from Town that has multiple fibre accounts available! We have approached EVERY provider, and all say “not available”…
Providers aren’t interested. Plain and simple.
Good luck, Scott.
Yes the internet situation in Muskoka has been brutal. We’ve over paid for years for horrible plans . They’ve just recently improved the service and plan but still way behind the times.
Internet service needs to be given the same importance as roads. Especially now. It’s a necessity not a luxury. Not only do we need improved service but also must be maintained and upgraded on a regular basis just like we do with our roads. Covid has just magnified this need. Stay in this Scott. It is a priority in Muskoka
Agree with the comments being made, while our MP’s comments are appreciated in all fairness the issue of rural broadband has been kicked down the road by both provincial and federal governments whether it be Liberal or Conservative for years and nothing much really happens. Moved to Huntsville in 2006 and endured dial up for two years. In 2008 Bell extended service on my road, but not quite far enough to to get a proper signal. Despite yearly promises the situation is still the same which means I have to settle with wireless that is one notch above dial up. Pretty bad when a Windows 10 update takes 10+ hours. I can just imagine what it is like for school kids who have to try online classes.
I will never see fiber on my district road, the number of customers doesn’t present a viable business model, can’t even get Bell 5G wireless let alone a decent cell signal. I agree with Rob Horton I am hoping that Starlink with prove to be as advertised. Fiber might be great in urban areas but too restrictive and costly and limited in rural areas. So yes I have submitted my address to Starlink to be part of a beta test so hopefully I might make their short list of applicants. While it may not meet the 100 mps as suggested I am sure it will be better than the 3 mps that I suffer with now.
Ray Vowels…….I know not soon enough. But Tesla’s SpaceX has launched a highly reviewed (although all the final tests aren’t complete) satellite internet service. It is suppose to be available throughout Canada in January 2020……If its as good as they claim (and is competitively priced) it will be a godsend for rural Canada.
The conversation around rural internet access will be changed significantly by Starlink in only a few months. High speed, low latency internet across all of Canada. Beta launch expected Nov 2020. Make sure to take that into account when you are considering options available to rural constituents.
I’m one of those rural home owners that would like faster more reliable internet . I have express view it’s not to bad sometimes but lately with so many kids at home and either taking glasses or whatever at times it’s no better than dial up. I understand we have Fiber all the way out Brunel Rd. but we are on a side rd about 300 feet off Brunel so can’t get hooked into it. I can’t seem to find out who owns the line so I can contact them to see if they will service our rd. We have a couple of businesses on our rd so I’m sure they could use something faster than what we have.