<div dir="auto">Here is s link to a ISP provider that is RM based, my cottage is in this RM, and everyone I have talked to about it is very happy. Farmers can even be on line while in equipment on their fields. <div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family:sans-serif"><a href="https://yellowheadbroadband.ca">https://yellowheadbroadband.ca</a></span><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Aug 25, 2020, 8:23 PM Marita Moll, <<a href="mailto:mmoll@ca.inter.net">mmoll@ca.inter.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Your link is behind a
paywall Garth. But the article is accessible if you search for
"internet municipal service beatty" -- it comes up in a service
called press reader. This is an article any of us could have
written -- but would not likely have seen it printed in the
G&M business section! <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"> After itemizing
multiple reasons why the current pandemic context is showing up
the need for more equitable access to Internet resources it
says:<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">"Typically, the build
out of broadband infrastructure has been left to the telecoms.
But municipalities are closest to their residents and should be
empowered to respond to their needs. This could be accomplished
by reimagining our municipalities as 'public utilities' and
leveraging their assets to create connected digital
infrastructure."</font><br>
</p>
<p> <font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font face="Times
New Roman, Times, serif">It certainly is an interesting
opinion piece that would have been celebrated all those years
ago by public interest advocates trying to keep some "public
interest" in the increasingly privatized "information
highway." In the early days, cities and municipalities just
didn't see this role for themselves and didn't try to fight
for it. Here in Ottawa we actually had the capacity and the
infrastructure at the time the Internet was exploding on the
scene (1990's) and gave it away to the telcos on the grounds
it was not the role of the city to run telecommunications.
There are, of course, some examples of municipally owned fibre
-- but I don't know of any new projects.<br>
</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font face="Times New
Roman, Times, serif">In answer to your question, is anyone
thinking about this now -- I have not heard much lately. The
article suggests that the introduction of 5G could provide
some new stimulus for this kind of thinking. "Municipalities
could then co-develop public-private partnerships to fund
innovative solutions for a truly connected Canada, as well as
provide access as a "neutral host" to all qualified telecom
providers at a fair price to generate revenue." <br>
</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font face="Times New
Roman, Times, serif">Here's hoping KPMG people have more luck
at tilting windmills than we ever did.</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font face="Times New
Roman, Times, serif">Thanks for bringing this forward.<br>
</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font face="Times New
Roman, Times, serif">Marita<br>
</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
</font></p>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre>Reimagining Internet as municipal service is key to connecting Canada.
Alex Benay is a partner with KPMG in Canada’s digital and infrastructure, government and health care practice. Stephen Beatty is partner and chair of Global Cities Centre for Excellence at KPMG in Canada.
Why cities are key to a connected Canada. Globe and Mail, August 24, 2020. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-why-cities-are-key-to-a-connected-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-why-cities-are-key-to-a-connected-canada/</a>
This is an odd channel to be transmitting TC’s original message. But I don’t think that the prime telecommunications carriers need to worry about municipalities intruding into their turf, unless some kind of shift in thinking is occurring at the municipal level? Has anyone sensed any hint of that?
GG
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