A group of northern New Democrat MPPs heard presentations about internet and cellphone issues from area businesses and municipal leaders during an online forum today. Problems ranged from reliability to high prices. Tania Cossette of Hearst Connect says the monopoly that some major companies have to provide wholesale services to rural communities needs to come to an end.
“Competition to the existing supplier which will naturally give the telecom provider access to more bandwith at lower prices and also to the end customer,” she said. “It will also allow telecom providers to get a backup connection incase its main one fails.”
Opasatika Mayor Jacques Dorval spoke about his concerns with residents accessing emergency services.
“Most emergency services are using cell service but most of the time in town and around town we lose service,” he said. “And between here and Kap where we do most of our business it’s the same thing we lose the service all the time.”
Dorval says that during the pandemic there was difficulty for children with online school classes.
Mushkegowuk-James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin and Temiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthoff were part of the group.
