Over the past few weeks, I have been concerned about a growing number of calls for broadband to be considered a public utility. We all want to find ways to get more people to have access to broadband. Treating broadband as a public utility just isn’t the right way to get there.<\/p>\n
In conversation with host Matt Galloway on the May 26 edition of CBC Radio’s “The Current”<\/a>, Laura Tribe of Open Media said:<\/p>\n Matt Galloway<\/strong>: And so now is the time you say, to talk about this as an essential service. People have suggested that the Internet could be a public utility. What would that mean?<\/p>\n Laura Tribe<\/strong>: So the CRTC in 2016 ruled that is a basic service. That it is something of a part of our communications packages that everyone should have access to. As an essential service, it really means the government is obligated to ensure connectivity. The same way that you are guaranteed electricity or water, you would be guaranteed that there’s Internet available to you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In reality, the CRTC didn’t rule that the internet is a basic service, as I described as “Error 1” in my blog post from a month ago, “Words matter. Accuracy matters”<\/a>. No matter how many times Open Media mis-characterizes the CRTC’s broadband policy, TRP CRTC 2016-496<\/a>, it won’t change.<\/p>\n But, let’s focus on the main subject: “Should broadband be a public utility?”<\/p>\n