28 WHEN THE PANDEMIC hit in 2020, and everyone shifted their lives online, it quickly became apparent that reliable internet access was no longer a luxury. The internet has become an essential tool for school, work, and play in our increasingly digital world. For Ontario, the pandemic exposed how underserved many rural and remote communities were. Both the provincial and federal governments took notice and jumped into action, pouring billions of dollars into developing broadband internet infrastructure across Ontario. The goal is for all Ontarians to have highspeed internet access (defined as download speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) Patchwork broadband FARMERS BEING LEFT BEHIND IN HIGH-SPEED INTERNET Rose Danen A RECENT HIGH-SPEED INTERNET PROJECT IN WELLINGTON COUNTY DIDN’T MAKE IT TO TIM MAY’S FARM NEAR ROCKWOOD, ONTARIO. PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM MAY. and upload speeds of 10 Mbps) by 2030, according to the provincial government's action plan. But the approach to achieving that goal is a patchwork of various highspeed internet projects such as SWIFT and UBF (the Universal Broadband Fund). "You don't have one program that's doing it all. You've got a number of programs, Industry News
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