WHEREAS there are still many areas of rural British Columbia that do not have telephone, cellular phone or Internet services, and the recent discontinuation of analog, EARS, and Autotel services has created even more areas that do not have these services; AND WHEREAS the Premier has made a commitment to Bridging the Digital Divide in the province of BC: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial and federal governments to continue to make expansion of internet and cellular phone service a high priority; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial and federal governments to provide incentives for companies to offer adequate cell phone and internet services to all rural residents.
MINISTRY OF CITIZENS SERVICES Since 2001, the Province has recognized the importance to municipalities of high-speed Internet connectivity as a catalyst for economic diversification and access to healthcare and educational opportunities. Programs to encourage the expansion of broadband connectivity have resulted in service now being available to 92 per cent of our population. At the 2008 Annual Convention of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, Premier Gordon Campbell reconfirmed Governments commitment to bridging the digital divide for British Columbians. The Premier announced that the Province will leverage its current procurement for telecommunications services to obtain expanded Internet and cellular coverage for citizens in rural and remote areas. This procurement process is currently underway. Also announced at that time was the Connecting Citizens Grant Program. Round 1 of this program provided 67 grants, totalling more than 3.1 million to local Internet service providers, to extend high-speed Internet services to homes and businesses across British Columbia. The Province continues to take every opportunity to represent the interests of rural British Columbians by participating in federal telecommunications policy reviews. The Province advocates for principles to increase service in rural areas, and urges the federal government to consult with provinces and municipalities before it makes reforms to existing telecommunications policy.