Thank you very much, Ray.
In Canada's north, many communities simply cannot participate in Canada's digital economy because they are unable to connect to reliable high-speed Internet. Northern and remote communities face frequent outages and technical problems without a backup connection to ensure continued service. The impact of inconsistent service is clear. When northern and remote communities can't take part in today's digital economy, out-migration becomes a serious challenge.
Securing northern and remote access to broadband will provide the same competitive advantage found in other parts of the country, contributing significantly to economic development, health, education, and safety.
As outlined in FCM's submission to the standing committee, we believe the federal government should develop investment strategies for northern and remote communities to bring their Internet services up to the standards of urban centres, including when it comes to speed and redundancy. In order to address the unique challenges remote communities face in connecting to Internet services, there is a strong need for a specific strategy for satellite-dependent communities.
FCM also believes that the federal government needs to utilize local knowledge in data collection to ensure that accurate and up-to-date information is used when funding decisions are made. Municipalities have front-line expertise about the challenges our communities face in accessing broadband. That makes us key partners in developing future federal funding programs.
The federal government plays a critical role in ensuring broadband Internet services are available to all Canadians, regardless of where in the country they reside. To realize this vision, we believe that all orders of government must work together and in full partnership.
On behalf of Canada's cities and communities, we thank the standing committee for the opportunity to take part in this proceeding, along with other parties' contributions and recommendations.
Thank you.
Merci. Mahsi cho.