What the Liberals, NDPs, and PCs have planned for broadband expansion

With voting day for the Ontario leadership race quickly approaching, we want to highlight the broadband expansion plans proposed by the top three parties, Liberals, New Democrats, and Progressive Conservatives.

Broadband infrastructure has proven to be an essential utility, just as important as roads or water. Without a reliable, affordable connection to high-speed Internet, businesses, families, and students in rural and northern Ontario will fall behind on a local and global scale.

Here’s how the provincial leaders are planning for the future:

Liberal

Liberal leader, Kathleen Wynne, points out in her platform that since 2007, the provincial government has committed $500 million to expanding broadband infrastructure across Ontario, including $90 million for the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) project (which CPC is proud to have been a part of), as well as $67.5 million in partnership with Northern Ontario Heritage Fund for broadband expansion in northern Ontario.   

If elected, the Liberals say they will commit another $500 million over three years to expanding broadband in rural and northern communities, improving cellular coverage and capacity gaps in eastern Ontario, and increasing broadband speeds in communities lacking service.

NDP

NDP leader, Andrea Horwath, says she plans to commit $1 billion over 10 years to broadband expansion in rural and northern communities. While doing this, she also plans to lobby the federal government to match the funding.

PC

Ontario PC leader, Doug Ford, plans to commit up to $100 million to partner with providers to bring cellular and broadband expansion to rural and northern communities in Ontario.

Make sure you vote on June 7!

Having a high-speed connection to the Internet is crucial for the future development of any community in Ontario. When we talk about broadband infrastructure, what we’re talking about is how communities grow, how businesses flourish, how students learn, how you access health care services, how municipalities communicate with citizens, how we all communicate with each other.

Think long and hard about this decision and make sure you make it to the polling stations on June 7 to cast your vote!