Brison urges Tories to put windfall toward high-speed Internet access

BY BRENT FOX

bfox@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Up to $2 billion of the government’s wireless spectrum windfall should go toward providing high-speed Internet for rural and small-town communities such as some in Kings and Hants counties.

The federal government came into an unexpected $2.75 billion from auctioning off wireless spectrum licenses for a total of $4.25 billion. The expected income was $1.5 billion. Debt prepayment, tax cuts or programs were seen as possible recipients of the monies.

However, King-Hants MP Scott Brison wants the money to go to bring better communications capabilities, including high-speed Internet service, to those rural and small town areas of Canada, including Hants and Kings counties.

Brison, who is the Liberal Industry critic, called for at least half of the windfall to go to rural and small-town Internet improvement. “A lot of communities in Hants and Kings counties lack high-speed and I will continue to fight for it.”

An estimated 20 per cent of Canadians are in communities that can’t access high-speed Internet and it would take about $2 billion to address that problem.

The MP said, “Internet access is as important to our communities as the railway was 100 years ago.”

For local communities to take part in the knowledge-based economy, they need high-speed Internet. The $2 billion would be an investment in infrastructure, Brison said.

“The government could make a real difference in rural and small-town communities.”

As well, he noted, a lot of knowledge-based industries are attracted to Nova Scotia, but can’t locate in some communities because of a lack of high-speed access.

The communications situation isn’t understood by many urban Canadians, Brison said, and he isn’t worried if the governing Tories take his idea and run with it. “It’s a brilliant opportunity.”

As well, he said, “I’m looking at this as a Canadian, not just a politician.” He has been in politics long enough to think beyond partisanship.

If the Conservatives don’t invest in high-speed, a Liberal government certainly will, Brison added.