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Feds invest in rural broadband

Feds invest in rural broadband

The rollout timeline is unacceptable, some stakeholders argue

By Jim Algie

Tuesday’s federal budget promised “universal high-speed Internet for every Canadian” by 2030 “no matter where they are located.”

Drew Spoelstra, an executive member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) board of directors, had mixed feelings about the announcement.

While it was “encouraging” to read of federal government intentions, the long delay “absolutely needs to be accelerated,” he said in an emailed response to Farms.com.

“It’s inconceivable that, heading into 2020, rural residents, farms and businesses will still be waiting for access to reliable and affordable Internet service,” he added.

“Building a Better Canada: Universal High-Speed Internet,” a three-page background paper released as part of Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2019 budget, proposed “a new, coordinated plan” to fill gaps in earlier government programs. He backed that proposal with an additional predicted investment of between $5 and $6 billion over 10 years.

The funding includes $1.7 billion more for existing programs and the launch of a new Universal Broadband Fund to help finance new low-latency Earth-orbit satellites. This technology is expected to help bring broadband to “even the most challenging-to-reach rural and remote” areas of the country, Morneau’s statement said.

The plan indicates expected investments of “up to $1 billion” by the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the leverage of “at least $2 billion in private capital” on increased broadband access.

Along this private investment vein, on Friday, Xplornet Communications Inc. announced a $500-million investment over five years in new fibre optics “backbone” equipment. Xplornet is a New Brunswick-based wireless service provider.

In her statement, Allison Lenehan, Xplornet’s CEO, credited an accelerated investment incentive for telecommunications equipment that Morneau announced last fall.

Existing federal broadband programs have their critics, however, including the former federal auditor general. In one of his last acts in office, the late Michael Ferguson released a November report on connectivity in rural areas. He highlighted slow progress on the issue and poor coordination of federal efforts.

In a Jan. 25 commentary article published on the OFA website, Spoelstra criticized the CRTC for “unrealistic eligibility criteria” that could exclude as many as 100,000 families in southwestern rural Ontario.

In his Tuesday statement, Spoelstra reiterated recent concerns about “how the CRTC has developed the criteria to identify underserviced areas of the country with regard to high speed internet.”

As well, SWIFT, an Ontario-based promoter of improved Internet service established by a group of western Ontario municipal governments, issued a petition in December seeking changes to a CRTC funding model for rural broadband. The $750-million CRTC program favours private-sector providers and restricts federal funding to local government and regional projects, the petition said.

SWIFT representatives could not be reached for budget comment on Tuesday afternoon.

artiemedvedev/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo


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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.

 

Comments (2)


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Well we are now delayed till 2030 there is a quick way to solve this problem stop the major telecoms from pre wiring new Housing in cities as because there are no services installed they qualify as under serviced areas. Make it that for every meter of fiber cable installed a new subdivision similar amount must be installed in rural areas. I live in Melbourne in just outside of town because of the angle of our house and Mature trees we can not get a wireless connection from major game players Explornet etc. What I am saddled with is very expensive cell phone wireless.No Netflix,no Amazon Prime no premium services.We in rural areas are treated by second class citizens lets rise up and get the ball rolling.
Gordon Robbins |Mar 21 2019 1:07PM
I have had a so called high speed internet since 2013 with Explornet, if they consider it high speed I would hate to see what slow and lazy is like. Some days it is slower than what my dial up was. After a long battle with them I subscribed to the more expensive so called high speed with no difference except on my bill. The same excuse every time. Depends how many people are using it, well if that is the case then why have they over sold???? Some days I can walk 600 feet to my mail box to deliver a letter in the amount of time it takes to send an e mail. High speed ya right!!!
Ron Steffler |Mar 21 2019 8:21AM