Senate committee passes internet service quality bill

The Senate Committee on Transport and Communications hastily adopted a private member’s bill on internet service quality Tuesday. The legislation, Bill C-288, had previously passed the House of Commons unanimously. In its second day of consideration of the bill, the Senate heard from government and lobby groups. Most supported the legislation, which was introduced by Manitoba Conservative MP Dan Mazier. The lone holdout was the Canadian Telecommunications Association. President and CEO Robert Ghiz told the senators Mazier’s bill solves a problem that does not exist. The competition bureau watches over false advertising and the CRTC is responsible for regulating service. “Bill C-288 will not help close the digital divide,” he said. “Only the private sector’s continued investment in network building supplemented by strategic government funding will realize the goal of connecting all Canadians.” He urged the committee to reject the bill. Supporting the legislation was the CRTC itself. Scott Hutton, the regulator’s chief of consumer and research, said the bill is necessary. “We know it is not just the market that needs clarity,” he stated. “Canadians need clear, concise and easy to understand information that empowers them to make informed decisions and choose plans that fit their individual needs.” The commission has been examining download speeds and working towards equitable access across the nation. It will soon hold discussions about whether or not to adopt broadband labels, as the Federal Communications Commission in the United States has done. The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) also endorsed the bill. Senior assistant deputy minister in the strategy and innovation policy sector Mark Schaan spoke on behalf of the ministry. “In the context of broadband internet services, the quality of the connection is an important consideration when choosing among different plans and providers,” he said in French. “It is also important for policy makers in assessing the overall performance of the marketplace and whether telecommunications service providers are delivering the quality of service needed to participate in the digital economy.” The CRTC ran a series of tests of internet hardware back in 2015 which provided good information but more is needed, he added. The participation was voluntary so some internet service providers did not take part. Testing needs to be done more frequently. Also doing testing was the group Rural Municipalities of Alberta. Its president Paul McLauchlin reported that in 2020 it ran 35,000 tests of internet speeds in the province. While the federal government is touting download speeds of 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 10 Mbps as the standard, his organization found the median results were 15/2. “We support the intent of the bill which we view as giving consumers more detailed information on their choices,” he testified. Most rural consumers use wireless or satellite to get their internet service, he noted. Very few of them have access to wired broadband. McLauchlin supports more accurate advertising about speeds. Following the testimony, the committee spent less than two minutes on clause-by-clause study of the bill. “I have never done a clause-by-clause so quickly,” committee chair Leo Housakos remarked. – Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Senate committee passes internet service quality bill

News | May 7, 2024

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Senate committee passes internet service quality bill

News | May 7, 2024

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