Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology

Comité permanent de l'industrie, des sciences et de la technologie

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 21, 2021 -

The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology presented its seventh report in the House of Commons entitled "Accessibility and Affordability of Telecommunications Services in Canada: Encouraging Competition to (Finally) Bridge the Digital Divide", in which the committee makes 16 recommendations.

Internet services are an essential part of the lives of Canadians and the COVID-19 pandemic has made this plainly evident. Despite reductions in the price of broadband Internet services in recent years and significant government investments to improve connectivity across the country, many Canadians are still unable to access broadband Internet, either because it is unavailable in their area or because the costs are prohibitive. In addition, broadband management in Canada encompasses many overlapping issues, including technology development, spectrum management and access to support structures. Together, these challenges underscore the importance of a national broadband strategy.

To address Internet access and affordability, the federal government must introduce policies that support a strong competitive telecommunications environment in Canada. The recent Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision to implement a mobile virtual network operator regime is a small step in that direction, but its decision to cancel the 2019 wholesale rates is very disappointing and concerning. The federal government must intervene to encourage the CRTC to implement decisions that embrace competition throughout the telecommunications sector.

The committee held five meetings on this study and received 10 briefs.

The report is available on the Committee's web site.