Conservatives Prioritize Access to High-speed Internet

Barrhead AB: Peace River – Westlock Member of Parliament Arnold Viersen, issued the following statement regarding the importance of access to high-speed Internet in a post-COVID-19 world and the commitment from Canada’s Conservatives to increase access in rural communities:

“As COVID-19 has made increasingly clear, having access to fast and reliable Internet is not a luxury we can afford to be without – it’s a necessity. This is especially true here in Peace River - Westlock. Currently, according to the CRTC, only 45.6 percent of rural communities in Canada have access to broadband Internet. In Alberta, it’s less than 9% of rural communities with access to speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Given how crucial online access has become in a post-COVID-19 world, that is truly an alarming statistic for our community.

“Many constituents across our riding are frustrated with the lack of progress on increasing access to reliable Internet. The Liberals make billion-dollar rural Internet announcements, but very little actually gets done. This is because the Liberals require the private sector to jump through hoops and experience delays of up to five years to get projects approved. We need a federal government that simplifies and streamlines the process so the private sector can invest and expand broadband.

“Constituents of Peace River – Westlock can have confidence that Canada’s Conservatives will present a plan to accelerate reliable Internet access and increase network capacity so that no one is deprived of these essential services.