Internet ups and downs

It seemed too good to be true. Indeed, it was.

Last week's Editorial Viewpoint argued that rural areas of Canada need greater access to high-speed Internet connections. After that piece was written and gone to print, but before being published, the federal government made an announcement that seemed to make that argument moot.

Last Sunday, the federal government announced plans to expand high-speed Internet access to several remote and rural areas across the country. Just over 50 projects were short listed to receive almost $77 million for the step-up to high-speed, thanks to an Industry Canada plan called Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians.

An estimated 169,000 Canadians - from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario and Quebec - will benefit.

Praise be. Could the Georgian have spoken too soon? Bantered about while the feds were actually doing good behind the scenes? Well, upon closer inspection, it seems as though only 207 households in this province will be zipping around the Internet thanks to this new plan. Are those households anywhere in Bay St. George? Guess again.

OmniGlobe Broadband Inc. has been allocated funds to bring high-speed to residents in Red Bay, Labrador. The Georgian is by no means begrudging the folks in Red Bay. They've also likely been waiting a long time for this service, so good for them.

It just leaves the folks in our little area of the country with the hope that maybe one day we'll have access to high-speed. Wait a second. Hoping is for the lovelorn who sit on the porch swing, waiting for their one and only to return from the fields at the end of a long summer's day. We need to take some positive action. It might be a long shot, but a string of voices is better heard than no voices at all.

Why not give the folks at Industry Canada's Broadband Canada some knowledge on what it means to have not when it comes to high-speed Internet? They can be reached via email: broadband@ic.gc.ca.

Last week we gave you the email address for Michael Ignatieff, leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa. But if you're going to send him a message, you might as well go all the way to the top and let the Prime Minister know what you're thinking, too. His email is pm@pm.gc.ca.

Closer to home, you might want to express your thoughts to MP Judy Foote. She can be reached at footej@parl.gc.ca.

Not happy with the Liberals or the Conservatives? How about the NDP? Jack Layton's email is LaytoJ@parl.gc.ca.

Regardless of whom you email, be sure to mention what sort of connection you're using to send the message. And let them know how a high-speed Internet connection could and would positively affect your life. Maybe then the luxury of high-speed Internet would be afforded to us all.