“Absolutely essential” broadband access needs to be extended to more rural areas: Emerson

David Emerson, minister of Industry Canada, said in a recent speech in Toronto that Canada has to do better job at bringing broadband Internet access to rural, remote and isolated Canadian communities. He stopped short, however, of calling for broadband to become an essential service. The following is an excerpt of his speaking notes to the Empire Club on September 21. To me there is only one way to go. We have to build an environmentally sustainable economic engine with extraordinary power. That power must be derived from a deeply embedded capacity for innovation and use of technology. We need to drive science, technology, and innovation deep into every corner of every region and every sector - manufacturing, natural resources, services - both public and private.That is my obsession as Industry Minister, and I want it to emerge as an obsession of the government of Canada. Doing it won’t be easy. It will require focused engagement by millions of Canadians, each adapting knowledge and technology to their own unique circumstances. There is no silver bullet that the government can fire and the problem is gone. But there is an array of actions that will empower Canadians to go where we have to go. We know we have to provide people with the necessary tools, with a supportive working and living environment, and with the critical infrastructure of a successful modern economy. Telecommunications and broadband technology are the most transformative technologies of our generation. It is the infrastructure that connects us with the global information economy. Canadians without high-speed access to the Internet will be increasingly out of the game in terms of economic opportunities, education and even health care. Here we have appointed the Telecom Policy Review Panel, to report by year-end on changes to the way the sector is regulated. We have to ensure our regulatory framework supports competition, supports technological transformation, and supports global competitiveness. We’ve also been a leader in supporting and providing the electronic infrastructure that connects Canadians to the global information economy. We’ve extended broadband to hundreds of communities and we’ve supported super broadband connectivity among schools, universities and research organizations in Canada and internationally. Unfortunately, our high international ranking has begun slipping. I cannot say this enough. It is absolutely essential that broadband access be extended further into remote and isolated communities. Without Internet access today, people and communities are simply not in the game. They’re not able to join the economic mainstream, or even to fully access opportunities for health care and education. We need to finish the job, here in Ontario and across the country.

“Absolutely essential” broadband access needs to be extended to more rural areas: Emerson

News | 09/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

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