Canada Is Offering $20/Month High-Speed Internet Plans To Some Households
Here are the details.
Bell Canada storefront sign in downtown Montreal (left); TELUS office sign in downtown Montreal (right).
Canada plans to bring high-speed internet to more families and seniors through the Connecting Families initiative, a partnership offering low-cost plans to eligible households. The government launched phase two of the initiative on April 4 and introduced a new $20 internet subscription option.
Two packages are now available:
- a $20/month plan that comes with
- 50 megabit per second (Mbps) download speeds (or the fastest available in a given area if 50 Mbps download speeds aren't available)
- 10 Mbps upload speeds
- and 200 GB of data
- and a $10/month plan that comes with
- 10 Mbps download speeds
- and 100 GB of data.
So far, the packages are only available to families that get the maximum Canada Child Benefit payment and seniors who receive the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement.
People in these two categories will get a letter in the mail with the latest internet plan offer. The government says the letter will include an access code and instructions to sign up through a secure online portal.
The Connecting Families initiative was first announced in 2017. Phase two plans were announced in the summer of 2021. By 2030, the government hopes to ensure high-speed internet access for 100% of Canadians.
"Being connected is important to maintain professional, social, economic and cultural networks within the digital economy," François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said in a press release.
"However, many low-income Canadians are still facing barriers that prevent their full participation in the economy. By working closely with Internet service providers across the country, we are increasing accessibility and providing all Canadians with affordable and reliable Internet."
