Canada is setting minimum speed targets for fixed broadband Internet access services in the country of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 10 Mbps upload.
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Increasingly shifting its regulatory focus from landline voice to broadband, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says an unlimited data option will also be required for fixed broadband providers.
The nation is already well on the way to achieving the speed targets, with 82% of Canadians having access to speeds of 50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload for fixed broadband services in 2015.
For areas that don't meet the speed targets, the CRTC will make up to CAD $750 million in funding available to construct or upgrade infrastructure for fixed and mobile broadband internet access.
The CRTC also wants more clarity for consumers regarding their broadband plans. Within six months, all ISPs in the nation will need to ensure contracts are written in clear and plain language, and online tools be made available to enable customers to easily manage their data usage.
"Access to broadband Internet service is vital and a basic telecommunication service all Canadians are entitled to receive," said Jean-Pierre Blais, CRTC's Chairman and CEO.
"High quality and reliable digital connectivity is essential for the quality of life of Canadians and Canada’s economic prosperity.”
The CRTC is an independent public authority tasked with regulating and supervising Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications.
Canada's announcement comes a few weeks after Australia's Productivity Commission proposed our nation's antiquated Telecommunications Universal Service Obligation (TUSO) should be replaced with a policy providing baseline or minimum broadband services to all premises in Australia. What the minimum upload/download speed will be should the proposal be accepted is yet to be established.
According Akamai’s The State of the Internet / Q3 2016 report, Canada had an average connection speed (IPV4) of 13.8 Mbps in the 3nd quarter of this year; ranking it 25th in the world.
For the same period, Australia had an average IPV4 connection speed of 9.6 Mbps, ranking it 50th globally. This was a slight improvement in ranking on the previous quarter; but still worse than in the fourth quarter of 2015.
