Mr. Speaker, I just received hundreds of surveys back from constituents, raising concerns about poor Internet and cellphone connectivity in our riding.
The ongoing frustrations of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with restrictions to work and school from home, have amplified their exasperation and demand for better service. Back in 2017, only 37% of rural households had access to the sufficient Internet speed identified by the federal government, compared with 97% of urban households. Now in 2020, as more people are working, studying and streaming at home, our already unreliable connections have worsened.
The Liberal government has repeatedly promised to improve Internet connectivity but has failed to deliver. This is a slap in the face to my constituents who pay more to get less and often buy additional equipment, like boosters, just to get five megabytes per second downloads, if they are lucky.
Canada's Conservatives are demanding concrete action from the Liberal government to connect rural Canadians and eliminate these barriers to equal opportunity in today's digital economy and society.