Thanks so much, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Hogan, thanks so much for coming today.
I'm glad I have the chance to show up to committee today and partake, because this is such an important issue. I represent the riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, a very rural riding in Ontario and one that has the second-highest demographic of seniors, which presents another challenge. We'll get to that.
I want to commend you on the part of your report—I think it's paragraph 2.69—where you point out that “neither Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada nor the [CRTC] could tell Canadians whether the affordability of Internet and mobile cellular connectivity had improved.” It's a pretty damning statement.
I want to provide additional evidence, as somebody who personally can't get over five megabits per second as service. I don't even get that because, of course, the service providers don't deliver what they advertise. It's only three any time I've checked it. I am one of many residents in my riding who have no connectivity. This in particular becomes a huge issue as the federal government moves more and more services, as you identified, to the digital realm. Then you don't have it.
I have a couple of points I want to get to. In your paragraph talking about not only the Internet service availability map.... I appreciate the question Mr. Shields brought forward about how there's a misperception. I have local Internet service providers trying to provide that service, but when they apply to ISED to try to get the maps updated.... It's going on two-plus years for them to even get the service they are providing put on the map or recognized.
Is this common in more than just my riding? Is this a common problem throughout Canada? I think you hinted at that.