Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Ostensibly, this meeting is to review the recent proposed merger between Rogers and Shaw. We've heard testimony from several witnesses opposed to the deal, and we've also heard from the companies involved about their commitments to invest in rural broadband networks and the 5G networks in western Canada.
It certainly seems to me that the one perspective we haven't heard from in this study is that of the rural communities who might most be impacted by the agreement and by rural broadband issues in general. There's a whole host of issues related to access to infrastructure in rural municipalities and what they face, and the local elected officials are on the front line and are having to deal with this.
I'd like to direct my first question to you, Mayor Wood. What are some of the challenges rural municipalities face in accessing adequate broadband services? As the mayor of a rural county, what experiences have you had in providing access to broadband services for communities in your area?