The provincial NDP wants to hear from you about your broadband services or lack of.
It is planning to hold public hearings across the province beginning at the end of the month.
Critic for Consumer Protection, Tom Rakosevic, says everything will be on the table.
“We’re doing hearings and consultations. We’re going to be reaching out to experts, we’re going to be reaching out to industry and to consumers, and everything is on the table. We’re going to talk about the best way forward to deliver better access when it comes to cell phones and Internet across Ontario, and much more affordable prices than we’re paying right now, especially in the midst of this affordability crisis,” says Rakosevic.
Access and cost are two big issues the NDP plans to tackle.
While telecommunications is a federal responsibility, NDP leader Marit Stiles says the status quo has failed to connect Ontarians and ensure equal access and opportunities, so it is up to the opposition to find solutions.
“We are determined to conduct consultations, and we are going to be doing the work to arrive at a solution that will give Ontarians truly affordable access to quality services and finally close the deliberate digital divide that has been leaving northern communities behind,” says Stiles.
Rakosevic doesn’t believe the Ford government is making telecommunications a priority.
He claims that since 2020, 90 per cent of funding set aside for improvements has not been allocated.
The first hearing will be in Toronto at the end of the month.
Others are planned, but there are no dates yet for when the hearings will come to northwestern Ontario.