NACC will continue to lobby, partner, engage and participate in the ongoing discussion to remedy the need for member community access to fast and reliable internet and cell service. Services that are very long overdue for most if not all of our communities. Currently, Manitoba is second only to the Yukon for low broadband download speeds. The Canadian average is between 12 to 25 Mbps (megabits per second download rate) and Manitoba’s is 12.6 Mbps.
There is a lot of information, research and approaches to finding a solution. For those interested, some can be found at:
- nextcenturycities.org/wp-content/uploads/Becoming-Broadband-Ready-Toolkit-web.pdf – Resource for Communities – Becoming Broadband Ready Toolkit
- cybera.ca/connectin/ – Testing the Gaps in First Nations Connectivity (2018) – Alberta project
- twitter.com/ciranews/status/1384501266328457219/photo/1 – Canada’s Rural/Urban Connectivity Divide (March 2021)
- techmanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ICTC_Report_Manitoba_Summary_Web.pdfReport Overview: Manitoba and a Digital-First Future (January 2021)