Lower broadband speed targets disappointing

Internet advocacy groups say they’re unhappy Canada’s telecoms regulator has halved the minimum speed that projects need to meet for a $750-million fund designed to make broadband Internet more accessible.

The CRTC said in its policy release Thursday it changed the target so more projects would be eligible for the fund, since challenges such as geography, transportation costs and other barriers make the higher speed harder to meet.

The decision shows a lack of ambition to provide Canadians with faster Internet services, said OpenMedia executive director Laura Tribe in a statement.

“Today’s decision is a stunning step backwards ... if Navdeep Bains and Justin Trudeau are serious about building an innovative and connected Canada, they need to send this decision back for reconsideration immediately.”

Tribe said the decision goes against the target of 50 megabits per second for downloads and 10 Mbps uploads that the regulator had initially set.

The CRTC said the revised target of 25 Mbps downloads and five Mbps uploads is in line with the service the majority of Canadians use today. It says applicants will have to design projects so they are able to scale up to the original target in the future.

Byron Holland, president and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, said in a statement he was “disappointed.”

“We encourage applicants to strive to meet these targets to ensure Canadians have access to quality Internet that is required to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.”