Businesses rely on broadband Internet to innovate, compete and grow. Canadians rely on it to support their quality of life, from health care to education to public safety. Yet at least two million Canadians still don't have reliable, affordable Internet access. Most of them live in rural, remote, and northern communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the unequal access to broadband across Canada and brought home the urgency of closing Canada’s digital divide. It has never been clearer that fast and reliable broadband Internet is essential to our daily lives. It’s about building an inclusive economy for all Canadians.

Having a dependable Internet connection means students can access education, and entrepreneurs can sell their products globally. It means doctors can access patient records, farmers can find real-time data, municipalities can serve residents better—and communities can reach their potential.

Municipalities have welcomed recent federal investments broadband infrastructure, including the historic Universal Broadband Fund. Now we need to ensure these investments drive results for people on the ground—quickly.


Featured news & resources

See featured resources, news, events and training related to Broadband.
Resources
Partners for Canada’s recovery

Local leaders are ready to build on our federal-municipal partnership to drive the inclusive, sustainable recovery Canadians deserve. Read our proposed solutions.

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Roadmap to connectivity

This guide is designed to help unserved and underserved communities establish connectivity to reliable high-speed Internet.

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Municipal leaders ready to work with new federal government to build Canada’s recovery

FCM President Joanne Vanderheyden issued the following statement at the conclusion of the September 20-24 online meeting of FCM’s Board of Directors, comprised of municipal leaders from communities of all sizes and regions across Canada.

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Frontline solutions for Canada’s recovery

Election 2021 is an opportunity for federal parties to show how they’ll build a stronger and more inclusive Canada. Local govts are ready to work together to get the job done. Read our election priorities.

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Election 2021: Municipalities lay out frontline solutions

As the federal election campaign heats up, FCM is calling on all parties to work with cities and communities of all sizes to drive a stronger, more inclusive nationwide recovery—releasing a package of achievable frontline solutions to pressing challenges, from job creation to climate change to the housing crisis.

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Telecommunications: CRTC affirms municipal role in 5G deployment

FCM secured a victory on behalf of municipalities, when the CRTC affirmed FCM’s arguments about the municipal role in 5G deployment and managing municipal rights of way. These are some of the most significant policy pronouncements by the CRTC on the role of municipalities in ensuring connectivity for Canadians.

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2M
Canadians who can’t access a reliable Internet connection
39%
rural communities that report no access to 20-50 Mbps download speeds
13%
rural households that report no access to 5 Mbps download speeds
Related focus areas
Explore the topics we’re working on related to broadband.

Infrastructure

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Local governments own approximately 60 percent of the public infrastructure that supports our economy and quality of life. Through advocacy and support, we help them build a stronger Canada.

Rural, northern and remote

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Rural, northern and remote communities are integral to Canada’s economy and quality of life. With our advocacy and support, their local governments are building a brighter future.
© 2023 Federation of Canadian Municipalities