This is the second time the Town has done a survey on internet connectivity after doing one in 2017.
75 people responded to that survey. 73-percent of those respondents said the service they pay for is not meeting their internet needs. The majority of people said that Bell is their internet service provider. Reported internet speeds ranged from 10.52Mbps to as low as 0.97.
“There seems to be significant inconsistency in speeds across the area surveyed, and overall, the results are poor,” the Town said of the 2017 survey results.
“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is essential for success,” the Town says on the front page of the new survey. “It is needed for business growth, skills training, public safety, access to services, and participation in the democratic process.” They say that given the low population density, remoteness and challenging terrains, rural communities are hard to get connected.
With the recently announced $150 million commitment by the Provincial government for a new broadband fund that will see new connections made for up to 220,000 homes in Ontario, which the government says will “lead to community, social, and economic benefits well beyond the Provincial investment.”
Bancroft’s 2019 internet connectivity survey is available online.