Task force outlines plan for better rural internet and cell phone service

1. Working Together – Supporting shared access to infrastructure and fair partnerships between service providers.

2. Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen – Simplifying Canada’s regulatory structure for greater accountability, transparency, and efficiency.

3. The Importance of Smaller Internet Service Providers – Supporting competition within the industry to ensure smaller players can survive, thrive, and support universal internet access.

4. Optimizing Public Resources – Optimizing government funding and managing spectrum effectively.

5. Regaining and Retaining Canadian Excellence – Ensuring that Canada takes a leadership role to build long-term sustainability within our telecommunications industry and infrastructure.

6. Taking Control of the Saskatchewan Advantage – Leveraging our Crown Corporations to ensure that Saskatchewan plays a leadership role in achieving universal connectivity and realizing the social and economic benefits that come along with it.

7. Consumer Protection – Ensuring consumers are guaranteed high-quality, affordable internet service.

Boxall said rural connectivity is an economic issue as service is needed for everything from data management of field records, agronomy, and maintenance on new equipment.

“This is not a luxury. For rural Canadians and producers, this is a necessity. Not only for agriculture but also for health care, education, and many other aspects of our day-to-day lives,” he said. “Before the pandemic we knew the importance of internet and cell service for our businesses and to stay connected but over the last year this has really been highlighted.”

Boxall said SaskTel officials cannot accomplish this on their own.

“SaskTel didn’t roll out the telephone service on their own 100 years ago. There were local telephone companies that rolled it out rurally and remotely and then SaskTel took those over,” Boxall said. “They’re going to have to partner and piggyback with smaller and independent service providers.”

The next step is sharing the recommendations with the federal and provincial governments, as well as service providers.

Boxall said a crown corporation like SaskTel needs to focus on what is best for its citizens.

“I think that has been missed with SaskTel. I think we need to go back and pressure them and maybe they’re only going to gain 100 customers,” Boxall said. “They need to figure out how to get it done with partners or make sure their policies don’t hinder other people from rolling that service out.”

Federal and provincial governments have made significant investments in agriculture technology. Boxall said that’s great, but producers need to be able to access it.

“The people who actually need the technology can’t use it because they don’t have service. Let’s make sure the horse comes before the cart, and ensure we have the internet service to utilize that ag technology,” he said.

The Task Force also outlined key actions over the next 12 months to advocate for policy changes based on their recommendations. They will report back regularly on their progress to the APAS membership.

The final report can be found here.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW

by Alice McFarlane

Task force outlines plan for better rural internet and cell phone service

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