The government of Canada has declared high-speed internet as a basic need alongside utilities such as electricity and clean water, joining the handful of countries that have previously made the distinction.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, after making the declaration, is now looking to provide an unlimited data plan to all of the country's citizens.
Internet Now A Basic Need In Canada
With Canada's declaration of high-speed internet as a basic necessity, it joins the United States, Finland, Israel, Malta, Switzerland, and Spain as the only countries that have done so.
The move signals that the Canadian government will now be looking to provide accessibility to high-speed internet across the country, and presumably, to also make the service more affordable so that it can be better enjoyed by its citizens.
High-Speed Internet Coming To All Canadians?
The CRTC has made the lofty goal of providing an unlimited data plan to all Canadians, with the internet connection to offer a minimum download speed of 50 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 10 Mbps by 2021.
To achieve the target, the CRTC said that it will be making an investment of up to $750 million, in addition to the funding that will be provided by current programs of the Canadian government.
The work required to accomplish the goal, however, is massive. The government of Canada wants the latest mobile wireless technology made available to all homes and offices, and along major roads. The fund of the CRTC will help projects that will be launched for the cause across the country, particularly in the regions where internet access infrastructure is not well developed or have not yet been built.
Challenges For Canada's Internet Plan
Just one day after the CRTC's labelling of the internet as a basic telecommunications service, a study was released to show one of the challenges that Canada will face in bringing a 50 Mbps internet connection to all citizens.
According to the study, which was conducted by Brandon University's Rural Development Institute, there are many small pockets in Canada's southern Manitoba where internet infrastructure is severely lacking. The report claims that there are even some areas where citizens are still on dial-up internet connections.
Even in the other countries where the internet has been declared as a basic service, the propagation of high-speed internet to their citizens have often been challenged by factors such as high costs, poor service, and intensifying questions on net neutrality.
Canada will likely suffer through all these challenges as well, and we will soon find out how the government responds to them and if it can keep its promise of a 50 Mbps internet connection for citizens by 2021.
