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Bill 226, Broadband is an Essential Service Act, 2020

Vanthof, John

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Original

Bill 226 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts the Broadband is an Essential Service Act,

2020 , which requires the Minister of Infrastructure to develop a

Broadband Connectivity Strategy that aims to deliver high-speed internet

connectivity to 95 per cent of Ontarians by 2026 and to all Ontarians by 2030.

The Minister is required to update the strategy at specified intervals and undertake

certain consultations in developing or updating the strategy.

Bill 226 2020

Act to enact the Broadband is an Essential Service Act, 2020

Her

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Purpose

The

purpose of this Act is to guide policies and investments towards a goal of

universal access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet, particularly

for Northern and rural Ontarians, given that high-speed internet constitutes an

essential service.

Definitions

this Act,

“high-speed

internet” means internet service with download speeds of 50 megabits per second

or faster and upload speeds of 10 megabits per second or faster; (“service Internet

haute vitesse”)

“Minister”

means the Minister of Infrastructure or such other member of the Executive

Council to whom the administration of this Act may be assigned under the Executive Council Act . (“ministre”)

Strategy

(1) The

Minister shall develop a Broadband Connectivity Strategy that aims to deliver

high-speed internet connectivity to 95 per cent of Ontarians by 2026 and to all

Ontarians by 2030.

Same

(2) Without

limiting the generality of subsection (1), the strategy shall,

(

a) identify

the number of Ontarians who lack access to high-speed internet and where,

generally, they are situated within the province;

(

b) identify

actions to be taken to achieve the strategy’s targets;

(

c) describe

the roles of any partners in implementing the strategy; and

(

d) set

out timelines for taking specified actions as well as performance measures against

which the progress of the strategy may be measured.

Updated

strategy

(3) The

Minister shall ensure that the strategy is updated at least once every two

years after its initial development under subsection (1).

Same

(4) Any

updated strategy shall also include a progress report that summarizes the

measures taken since the publication of the previous version of the strategy

and an evaluation of the progress of the strategy against the performance

measures set out in the previous version of the strategy.

Consultation

(5) In

developing or updating the strategy, the Minister shall consult with

representatives of the federal government, municipal governments, Indigenous

communities and the general public.

Publication

(6) The

Minister shall ensure that the strategy developed under subsection (1) and any

updated strategy are published on a website of the Government of Ontario.

Tabling

(7) The

Minister shall table the strategy developed under subsection (1) and any

updated strategy before the Legislative Assembly as soon as reasonably possible

after they are developed or updated.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Broadband is an

Essential Service Act, 2020 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

November 26, 2020

Second Reading

Ordered referred to Standing Committee

Standing Committee on General Government

November 26, 2020

Second Reading

Vote

Carried

November 26, 2020

Second Reading

Debated

November 3, 2020

First Reading

Vote

Carried

Debates and Progress

First Reading

November 3, 2020

Committee

Second Reading

November 26, 2020

Mr. John Vanthof, Mr. Billy Pang, Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell, Mr. Mike Schreiner, Mr. Jeremy Roberts, Ms. Marit Stiles, Ms. Lindsey Park, Ms. Sara Singh, Mme Lucille Collard

Declared carried. Referred to the Standing Committee on General Government.

Committee

Standing Committee on General Government

Third Reading

Royal Assent

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