Provincial agriculture group offers education about why rural internet is so bad in Saskatchewan, with solutions coming in early 2021

Contributed

The Rural Connectivity Task

Force, a project of the Agricultural

Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), has released a discussion paper summarizing its findings at the halfway point since launching in September 2020.

“All fall we’ve been meeting with experts on the subject of rural internet service,” says Rural Connectivity Task Force Chair Jeremy Welter, who farms near Kerrobert, SK. “We’re talking to experts from across Canada, as well as to key service providers including SaskTel. We’re getting a really good handle on the technical and regulatory issues facing us when it comes to improving rural internet.”

The Rural Connectivity Task Force is sharing what they have learned to date in a discussion paper that summarizes the work of the Task Force and provides an overview of the key terms and concepts that shape the internet landscape in Canada. From the differences between wireline and wireless connections, to how telecommunications are regulated and funded in Canada, the discussion paper is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to understand why getting reliable internet is such an uphill battle for so many rural communities.

“We wanted to create a resource to help people better understand why rural internet is such a hard problem to solve,” says Welter. “This paper takes a very complicated technical issue and helps breaks it down for people.”

Once the Rural Connectivity Task Force completes its research phase, they will finalize their recommendations and release a final report in early 2021, which will be used to advocate for changes at the provincial and federal level.