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Canadian Government Makes 50 Mbps the New Broadband Standard

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.

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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.

Most recommended from 99 comments



maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

21 recommendations

maartena

Premium Member

High Speed Internet

So those offering 6 Mbps DSL, will just call it "High Speed Internet" and call it a day.

Anon18b8b
@suddenlink.net

5 recommendations

Anon18b8b

Anon

well that beats the hell out of 25/3 capped

Actually theirs will be 50/10 unlimited, hopefully up north the price won't be a morgage payment like here in the states.But also with the new fcc you never know with lots of cable companies we get unlimited for a price for most wireline services. But the ones at the fcc now, Like pai and o'reilly all for the cable and telco's might vote in that the cable companies can cap all they want. So who knows we in the states might all be wishing for what they are going to get up north. The cable and telcos wired service might all go low caps for all residential service.
I think congress itself should make broadband a utility cause its just as important to daily life as water,gas,electric,telephone. If congress makes it a utility,no matter who gets in the fcc now or the future, won't be able to roll back the rules like the fcc will probably do to all the net nuetrality rules in place now.
I also think that they should also force the cable and telcos wired service and soon 5G to be at least the 25/3 better yet 50/10 like canada is going to plus at least 1000 gig download, raise 500 gig each year a person has the service for $10-$15 a month for anybody say under a certain family income around $50,000 a year.
Force it on all the cable and telco's for the priviledge of offering service in the US,seeing how even though the cable and telco's are buying the use of the spectrum, it still is really suppose to belong to the people. Since it really is over the peoples airstpace not the big corps,(cable,telco,etc) or the certain people in the government(congress,state,etc).After all the government is really only suppose to be looking out for the spectrum,not own it. Beside that who payed for the developement of the internet/broadband that they are delivering to us.It sure as heck wasn't the duopolies in most area's,it was the people with our taxes, that the defence department used.
Like I said earlier we all might be wishiing we had what canada is getting soon as basic service.50/10 unlimited broadband. Cause we all might soon be paying something like altice/suddenlink is forcing on the people in their area's where they don't have competition like in West Virginia. 50/5 with the low cap of 250 gig and 75/7.5 with 350 gig cap with the restriction you can't pay extra for the unlimited unless you pay for 100/7.5 at a higher price to pay for the priviledge to pay for the unlimited also.
But with the new fcc never know it might go that all the isp's will soon be able to charge the high price for the broadband service 25/3 and higher and no matter what speed have a cap like the 250 gig that altice is forcing on it 50/5 service.
tvsensei
join:2016-12-22
Victoria, BC

2 recommendations

tvsensei

Member

We've still got some things to work on here in Canada.

I was happy to see this from the CRTC - however, current internet prices in Canada are already far too high unless you are lucky enough to have Tech Savvy be able to deliver home services to you. My internet bill is $93.00 per month and its capped (550 gigs). Not trying to make anyone feel bad here but my uncle who lives in Portugal has an unlimited 50/10 connection for 19.99 Euros, with a bundle for his cell for - $9.99 for that. Maybe I need to learn a little more Portuguese?