SaskCanola supports APAS Submission to CRTC 2023-89
SaskCanola fully supports the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan’s (APAS) submission to the CRTC Broadband Fund policy review.
SaskCanola is a producer-led organization, supported by 17,000 levy-paying Saskatchewan canola producers. SaskCanola’s mandate is to provide value to canola producers through research, advocacy, and market development.
Saskatchewan is a unique region dominated by a rural landscape. SaskCanola supports the CRTC providing funding for operational support in rural and remote areas. SaskCanola further supports APAS’s recommendation that the CRTC account for regional variations and avoid a one-size fits all approach for eligibility requirements and ensure increased flexibility in the distribution of funding to include existing operations and infrastructure.
Rural connectivity is a crucial driver of agricultural growth in our province and subsequently, the Canadian economy. Access to reliable and affordable telecommunication services is increasingly important for the management of farm operations, including accessing and developing markets, as well as the continued adoption and use of new innovative production technologies to increase profitability and efficiency. SaskCanola supports APAS’s recommendation for a broader definition of rural connectivity that reflects the need for connectivity beyond strictly households. Saskatchewan agriculture producers require connectivity throughout croplands and rangelands.
SaskCanola and APAS often work closely to support each other on a number of initiatives that impact Saskatchewan agricultural producers and their ability to remain competitive in a global market, profitable at a on-farm level, and to have their voices heard by government. In furtherance of this commonality of vision, SaskCanola fully supports APAS’s recommendations and the conclusion of their submission to the CRTC Broadband Fund policy review “strongly urging the CRTC to develop and implement appropriate mechanisms to reinstate a modernized operational funding model that ensures parity between rural and urban services. The CRTC also needs to recognize the unique needs of Canada’s regions and ensure that eligibility and expenses are broad and flexible enough to incent investment and support continuous renewal in high-cost areas.”
Click here to read the Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan’s submission on Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-89
If you have a question or comment about the policy work that SaskCanola does on behalf of farmers, we encourage you to contact the office at (306) 975-0262 or email info@saskcanola.com