Mr. Speaker, today I'm going to speak about the state of internet connectivity in the NWT and lack thereof.
Mr. Speaker, two months ago the Auditor General of Canada released a report titled Connectivity in Rural and Remote Areas, which stated that rural and remote communities are still lagging behind the rest of the country when it comes to internet. The report also stated that the NWT has the largest disparity of internet access in the country, with only 18 percent in small NWT communities that have access to highspeed internet. In comparison, 98 percent of people in larger NWT communities have access to highspeed internet. Mr. Speaker, this large disparity in internet connectivity for the people of the NWT is not acceptable.
Our government needs to work at a faster pace with the federal government, along with the private industry, to bolster internet access across the board if the NWT hopes to meet the federal government's goal of providing 100 percent of Canadians with access to highspeed internet by 2030.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC, has held a series of public hearings over the last year to receive consultations on the status of telecommunication services in the far North. During the last couple of hearings, there were several NWT witnesses who provided some great ideas for the CRTC and internet service providers to consider. For example, one person rightly stated that it's mostly Indigenous people who don't have access to internet services and as a result internet service delivery should be considered within the text of reconciliation. I agree with that because increasing access to highspeed internet will work to advance economic reconciliation for Indigenous peoples and communities. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Moreover, Mr. Speaker, another big issue on this subject is the lack of competition of internet service providers in the North. In the NWT, we have a monopoly over internet delivery from NorthwesTel. Without some degree of competition, prices remain high and the speed of internet continues to remain low as well. In fact, NorthwestTel itself has admitted that increased competition in recent years from Starlink satellite service has motivated them to expand and improve their own internet access. NorthwesTel admits that it has lost some customers to Starlink already, which is pushing them to expand fiberoptic lines in more northern communities, which is great to see.
Mr. Speaker, I could go on about this but I will leave it at that for now. I will have questions for the Minister of finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
