'This is a real divide': East Gwillimbury seeks better internet for rural residents

Broadband working group says better service coming in near future

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 2, 2020
Simon Martin

It’s no secret that East Gwillimbury is on the hunt for better broadband internet.

While the newer subdivisions in town are blessed with high-speed surfing, many older homes and large swaths of rural lands are outfitted with what can only be described as subpar internet.

Terry Russell is out to change that along with his team on the on the town’s Broadband Working Group. Russell has been working to improve the internet in the town for several years.

“Broadband capability is a natural resource. It’s part of the 21st century infrastructure,” Russell said back in 2013 and that statement is more true than ever in 2020.

It's in routine things like being able to video-conference.

“Before the meeting, I had my fingers crossed not knowing if I would have access to full audio and video. That is what so many people in our community still face,” Russell said at East Gwillimbury’s virtual council meeting Sept. 22. “Many areas of East Gwillimbury continue to be under service and not be able to access minimum service levels.”

The imbalance has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many residents found themselves working from home and doing school work virtually.

“This is a real divide between the urban and rural component of our community,” Ward 3 Coun. Scott Crone said. “It doesn’t only speak to economic concerns -- it's affecting people’s ability to get education. It’s working from home; it’s quality of life.”

Ward 1 Coun. Loralea Carruthers called it an equity issue. She doesn’t have reliable access from her house.

“My internet is so bad I have had to come into the office to access it,” she said. All those people who have to go out into the community to access reliable internet during the pandemic are at heightened risk of contracting the virus, Carruthers added.

Russell sounded optimistic that things could improve in certain areas of the town in the next year. “Bell has stepped up to the table and they have a plan to install a bunch of stuff around year-end,” he said. “Rogers on the other hand are nowhere to be found.”

Russell said generally anything east of Woodbine Avenue and north to Ravenshoe is underserviced in the town. Russell said Yorknet is attempting to lay fibre on all regional roads, which will make it easier to provide last-mile service for ISPs.

Up to this point it has been the town’s strategy to advocate for internet service providers (ISPs) to help increase service but Ward 2 Coun. Tara Roy-DiClemente said maybe it’s time for a bolder strategy like the town owning and operating its own infrastructure.

She said the town has been having polite conversations with ISPs for several years and it hasn’t seemed to move the needle.

“The ISPs' main motivation is profit and it is not best service to its partner. We have made the case that reliable high-quality broadband service is most important to our community. Maybe we should have some skins in the game,” she said. “Their motivation is not ours.”

Russell said it was not the opinion of the broadband working group that the town starting its own ISP was the best option.

Over the next few months Russell and the working group will be busy creating a coverage map to show what areas really need service. The matter is certainly one that hits close to home for many East Gwillimbury residents.

Earlier this year there was much discussion about a 96-foot internet tower that Brian Smith had built at hit house due to the lousy internet in the area. Council eventually voted to let him keep his tower up for 30 months until better internet is available to the community.

“I think it is backwards that service levels are so appalling that residents have to take matters in their own hands,” Roy-DiClemente said at the time.