Madam Chair, we all know that the crisis has highlighted the fact that high-speed Internet service is now considered to be an essential service, as was the case for electricity in the last century.
In my riding, several areas do not have access to high-speed Internet. For example, the city of Rivière-Beaudette and the Domaine Drolet have no cell service or high-speed Internet service. Despite the efforts of the mayor of Rivière-Beaudette and the reeve of the Vaudreuil-Soulange RCM, nothing has been done to give these people access to high-speed Internet. We know that the government has promised to ensure that rural areas have access to high-speed Internet by 2028.
In light of today's crisis, does the minister realize that he must move up the deadline for providing high-speed Internet to all people living in rural areas in my riding, such as Rivière-Beaudette, Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, and Hinchinbrooke, who unfortunately have not been able to telework satisfactorily because the network is inadequate?
I would like to hear what the minister has to say about possibly moving up the deadline for ensuring that municipalities and everyone who needs it have high-speed Internet access.