Canadian regulators have declared that all Canadian consumers should have access to uncapped broadband service at a minimum speed of 50 Mbps downstream, 10 Mbps up. According to the government announcement, the CRTC has proclaimed that broadband access Internet service is now considered "a basic telecommunications service for all Canadians." The ruling also sets aside a $750 million fund to help shore up connectivity to more rural and underserved broadband communities.
According to government statistics from last year, 82% of Canadians have access to speeds of 50 Mbps downstream, 10 Mbps upstream. How many ISPs currently provide consumers with the ability to purchase an unlimited, uncapped broadband connection (albeit at a steep premium) is unclear.
The new 50 Mbps minimum definition is double the 25 Mbps watermark the US FCC set last year (much to the chagrin of US providers, which complained extensively about the new definition).
"They are ambitious targets but I think they're realistic," CRTC boss Jean-Pierre Blais told the Globe and Mail. "The US is at 25 Mbps, Australia's at 25, Europe generally is targeting 30 and Germany is at 50. So we didn't want to be in the middle of the pack."
This is the first change to this standard since Canadian regulators declared an "aspirational" broadband target of 5 Mbps downstream, 1 Mbps upstream back in 2011.
"Access to broadband Internet service is vital and a basic telecommunication service all Canadians are entitled to receive," the government said in a statement.
"Canadians who participated during our process told us that no matter where they live or work in our vast country -- whether in a small town in northern Yukon, a rural area of eastern Quebec or in downtown Calgary -- everyone needs access to high-quality fixed Internet and mobile services. We are doing our part to bring broadband services to rural and remote communities."
Those interested can find more detail in the
full announcement. There's also some ongoing discussion about the changes in our
Canadian broadband forum.