CIRA commends the CRTC decision on Internet as a basic service, offers support in meeting ambitious national goals

OTTAWA, Dec. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) congratulated the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today on its decision to consider broadband Internet services a basic telecom service.

"There are areas of this country that could be left out our ongoing digital transformation, unable to engage with their fellow citizens, their government, or the economy as fully as their more connected peers," said Byron Holland, president and CEO of CIRA. "This next phase of our digital nation building calls on us to work collectively towards building a better online Canada, enabling anyone to speak their mind, engage with their friends and family, or build a business on a free and open Canadian Internet."

CIRA's core function is the delivery and operation of the .CA domain. In conjunction with this work, the organization manages and funds a series of projects to help build a better online Canada. This includes managing the CIRA Internet Performance Test, a crowdsourced initiative that measures the speed and quality of Canadians' Internet.

Results on the first 100,000 tests show that in areas in the country, many users are not realizing speeds that meet the CRTC's new basic guidelines – perhaps because those speeds are not available in their area, or because they have not subscribed to a plan that includes this level of service.

CIRA will continue to work on programs such as the Internet Performance Test and other initiatives to strengthen Canada's Internet infrastructure and improve access and digital literacy.

"Whether through funding from our Community Investment Program, or through discussion and dialogue at the annual Canadian Internet Forum, CIRA is committed to helping Canadians meet this ambitious objective of connecting our nation fully" adds Holland.

To find out if your Internet connection meets the minimum guidelines set by the CRTC, test your connection at performance.cira.ca.

For more information on the CRTC's decision, visit www.crtc.gc.ca.

For more information on how the Canadians Internet Registration Authority is working to build a better online Canada, visit www.cira.ca.

About CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services that help support its goal of building a better online Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing ccTLDs, a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world's most advanced back-end registry solutions. CIRA helps to support the Canadian Internet community through investments in Internet Exchange Points, the Canada Internet Forum, and the CIRA Community Investment Program.

SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

Tanya O'Callaghan, communications manager for CIRA, 613-808-2475, [email protected]