The Liberals have promised broadband for all Canadian communities by 2013 with speeds of at least 1.5 megabits. Industry Minister Tony Clement says the government's plan will be unveiled shortly.
Liberals Promise Broadband For All
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1.5 megabits is the new dial-up. Who the hell can surf anything except plain text websites on 1.5Mbps? By 2013? That’s a joke! So now we’re going to get Rogers Wireless Internet “Lite” which promises “up to” 1.5Mbps and delivers 0.00000001 Mbps?
(Just like the current Rogers Wireless Internet is “up to” 7.2 Mpbs but which delivers at best 3.5? When the Moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter is in Mars, that is…)
Gimme a break already. Canada is just proving to the world how pathetic its broadband coverage has become.
+1 for what Joseph said
Just a couple quotes from the linked article:
“He also promised expanded cellphone coverage and said a more ambitious internet speed goal would follow by 2017.”
“In March, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a plan to connect 100 million homes with 100-megabit speeds. The Australian government is currently testing its $40-billion National Broadband Network, which will see 90 per cent of homes, schools and workplaces connected with 100-megabit speeds.”
I understand Canada is huge, some of the northern parts have pretty small population densities, and there is a cost/benefit analysis they have to consider when spending money. However, with the big boom in “cloud” concepts, digital distribution trends, and rich multimedia being a part of the BASE internet experience… 1.5mbit by 2013 and a loose promise of higher speeds PLANS by 2017, JUST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH.
May as well promise personal spaceships
This is all good news, but it would take billions to bring our infrastructure anywhere near American, let alone European capability of broadband.
@Joseph Balderson: Kind of puts the 26,400 bps I get at home on dialup at home in perspective, doesn’t it? I can theoretically get wireless, but the company did a survey and the topology is in the way.
What I want to know is, he said communities. What does he mean by communities? Some consider a place like Smiths Falls Ontario (pop 8777) to be a “rural” community (not Stats Can; it is listed as 100% urban on the 2006 census). Does he consider the neighbouring Montague Township to be a community, even though it is 90% rural according to Stats Can?