Bell’s affordable internet program is only for families who receive the child tax credit. This is not enough to bridge the digital divide!
This Wednesday July 10th, ACORN members and allies will participate in a rally to urge Bell to bridge the digital divide by offering all low-income individuals $10/month internet.
When: Wednesday July 10th, 1pm
Where: 1505 Barrington Street
What: Affordable Internet Rally
ACORN’s Internet for All campaign was launched in 2013, pushing telecom companies to lower the cost of internet for low income families to $10 to help bridge the digital divide. More can be read in our report Internet for All – Internet Use and Accessibility for Low Income Canadians. https://www.acorncanada.org/resource/internet-all\
Since launching the campaign, major companies have come out with $10 internet products and the CRTC ruled that internet is a basic service that all licensed telecom companies need to provide to Canadians.
The federal government launched their Connecting Families program in 2018, targeting National Child Benefit recipients, to provide $10 per month internet. Bell opted into this program. Unfortunately, it is not enough to bridge the digital divide, and many will miss out including low income seniors and single occupant households.
Paul LaPierre, Dartmouth ACORN member, states that “Internet is way out of reach for the ordinary person. Some months it is a choice between paying your bills or keeping the internet on.”
Contact halifax1@acorncanada.org
ACORN Canada is a national member-based community organization with 21 chapters in seven cities across the country. We have over 102,000 members fighting for social and economic justice. ACORN Canada has a unique approach to community organizing that has led to many important victories over the last ten years.
