High-speed Internet is all about leveling the playing field in business, no matter where a company is, according to Bill Macdonald.
“You can have a phenomenal online business presence and be in the middle of nowhere,” said the vice-president of Xplornet Communications, which installs and maintains satellite dishes offering high-speed Internet connections.
“We’ve been able to break through the access side of things by giving people satellite services…the other barrier has been affordability.”
The issue facing many British Columbia businesses located in rural areas, however, is that the installation of high-speed Internet is extremely cost prohibitive when broadband cables are hundreds of kilometres away.
Macdonald said the costs can go from anywhere between $400 and $1,000 for standard broadband services, depending on just how far away someone lives from more densely populated communities.
But the B.C. government announced April 24 it was investing $2 million in making satellite Internet services cheaper for those that qualify under the B.C. Broadband Satellite Initiative.
Victoria will cover as much as half of satellite installation costs up to $250 for rural customers.
“The Internet has become a necessity for 21st century life. Getting all British Columbians online will help expand economic opportunities, connect families and help bring the world to every corner of the province,” Andrew Wilkinson, B.C.’s minister of technology, innovation and citizens’ services, said in a statement.
Recognizing that installation costs can pose a huge barrier for rural businesses is a significant step for the B.C. government, according to Macdonald.
In the cities, he said, it’s not a big deal for a cable technician to drive down the street and set up a high-speed modem in someone’s office.
“But in the rural markets, they don’t have the luxury of having a broadband cable or fibre…(going) right to their door.”
He said after the installation costs are out of the way, businesses will pay service fees on par with companies like Shaw or Telus, which charge in the neighbourhood of $30-80 a month.
“I see this as a bit of a tipping point to get people onto broadband and onto recognizing the opportunities this can bring to people in the rural areas…and do business remotely,” Macdonald said.
