Having access to the internet shouldn’t be a luxury according to the United Nations. In 2016, the UN declared the web access is a human right.
Now in 2022, the Government of Canada teamed up with 14 internet providers to expand affordable high-speed internet as part of a few government programs including the $2.75 Billion Universal Broadband Fund and the CRTC’s $750 Million Broadband Fund.
Low income individuals who are eligible will receive a letter that contains an access code to sign up for Connecting Families from the participating providers for $20 a month; Access Communications, Bell Canada, CCAP, Cogeco, Hay Communications, Mornington, Novus, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Tbaytel, TELUS, Videotron & Westman Communications.
This will allow Canadians to access internet speeds of at least 50Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Previous programs offered lower speeds and less data, all of those have been increased including data usage up to 200GB a month. Bear in mind that access to the discounted internet offering will depend on availability to those who receive an eligibility letter.
More on how the Government of Canada is implementing their Connecting Families initiative can be found here.
