SIGN PETITION

RURAL
CANADA
IS BEING
LEFT BEHIND.
AGAIN.

New proposals by the Government of Canada would take spectrum away from rural Canada and put it in the hands of Canada’s largest telcos to serve Canada’s big cities. Hundreds of thousands of rural Canadians and businesses could suffer a drastic reduction or disconnection of internet service further deepening Canada’s digital divide.

IT’S ABOUT
BASIC FAIRNESS.

Wherever they choose to live, Canadians deserve the right to have access to affordable, high-speed internet service. Rural Canadians rely on the internet to access key health and education services and take part in the digital economy. Internet access powers local economic development and job creation in rural and remote communities.

WHY FAIR ALLOCATION OF SPECTRUM MATTERS.

Spectrum is the oxygen the breathes life into the wireless devices all Canadians depend on. Because most internet connections in rural Canada are wireless, a disproportionate amount of spectrum is required. The options proposed would take spectrum away from rural Canadians.

WHAT RURAL
CANADIANS
DESERVE.

Rural Canadians deserve the same internet speeds as urban Canadians.
Rural Canadians should benefit from 5G services on the same timeframe as urban Canadians.
The Government has made major investments in rural Canada. But the largest barrier to improving rural Internet is not funding it is access to spectrum.
Providers using this band of spectrum to deliver service in rural Canada should not lose access to it - it’s a principal of basic fairness.
Instead of promoting more options for rural Canada, these proposals would take away service from hundreds of thousands of rural Canadians who rely on rural ISPs to connect them to what matters.

TELL OTTAWA THAT RURAL CANADA MATTERS TOO.

If you believe Canada’s rural communities deserve fair access to wireless spectrum then send a message to Ottawa, while your current internet connections still let you. This is where we will provide the ability to send an email to the right eyes.

First Name *

Last Name *

Town/City *

Email *

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Message

Minister Bains

Access to high-speed, broadband internet is critical for rural communities in the 21st century. Families and businesses in towns and cities like mine rely on the internet to access key government services and take part in the digital economy, just like those in urban Canada.

The availability of high-speed broadband to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas is a key factor affecting the long-term sustainability of rural economies and the future of the Canadians who live in them. As a matter of policy and fairness, Canada cannot afford to allow this divide to increase.
As a rural internet user, I am concerned about recent proposals by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development that would take wireless spectrum away from rural Canada and put it into the hands of Canada’s largest telcos to serve Canada’s big cities. Not only is this unfair, it also limits the ability of rural Canadians and their children to continue living and working in their hometown.

Rather than limiting access, Canadians in rural or remote areas need better and faster options to harness the full potential of the internet, including access to the latest 5G-ready internet technology at the same time as urban Canada. Without fair and equitable access to wireless spectrum, Canadians in rural and remote regions will be left behind.

The federal government has a responsibility to prioritize the 3500 MHz spectrum band in a way that minimizes disruption to existing subscribers and is sustainable into the future. As a basic principle, rural internet providers should not have their spectrum taken away if they are providing service to rural Canadians.

Please show us that Rural Matters Too, by ensuring rural Canadians continue to have fair and equitable access to the wireless spectrum needed to make better internet service available for everyone, not only those living in cities. Canada cannot afford to trade away the future of its rural and remote communities.

Sincerely,

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SPREAD THE CALL
FOR FAIRNESS