Study to examine Internet service in rural western Ontario

Monday, April 22, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

A group of western Ontario counties has commissioned a study to determine what Internet infrastructure is available in their region along with the community’s needs for service.

The Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus Inc. is funding the study. It’s a non-profit organization that represents 14 counties in western Ontario working collectively to influence federal, provincial and municipal legislative, regulatory and program initiatives. It’s working with the University of Guelph on the study.

The university is “interested because they want to do some research with regards to Internet studies in general,” says Geoff Hogan, Grey County information technology director.

Hogan says a study commissioned by the eastern wardens’ caucus five years ago found the eastern Ontario region didn’t have enough broadband to meet community needs. “They lobbied the provincial and federal governments and were able to secure about $110 million in funding to try and improve rural Internet.”

The western wardens’ caucus has hired consultants Campbell Patterson Communications to do the study. The first part will be done by the end of June with the final report completed by August.

While the western caucus has learned some lessons from the eastern caucus’ experience, western Ontario is quite different than the east, he says. “We’ve got a number of independent telephone companies, there’s different geography and different make up.”

The western Ontario study includes two prongs. One is the supply side and all independent providers will be contacted to determine what Internet service is available and where. The second part is all large public sector organizations will be contacted to find out “what kinds of connections they have and who they have them with,” he says, noting that includes municipalities, school boards and hospitals.

Once the study is done, the caucus will be able to decide if western Ontario needs funding from upper government levels to “help us put better Internet in,” he says.

Hogan says there’s a big difference in rural compared to urban parts of Ontario in the quality of Internet service “and the ability (for rural Ontarians) to actually get service at all.”

In addition, some areas have high speed Internet access, while others have terrible speeds and  “that is what we’re trying to figure out,” Hogan notes.

Rural residents can participate in the study by going to the western caucus’ website and letting them know what speed of Internet they have at home. It’s at: www.wowc.ca . BF