Activists with the anti-poverty group ACORN spent Halloween day waving placards and chanting, calling on telecom giants to make the Internet more accessible for low-income people.
About a dozen people rallied on Kingsway at Boundary, in front of Telus’s corporate headquarters, demanding that Internet be more affordable for low-income families and people on disability.
“Internet is an essential service, it needs to be more affordable for all residents. Our kids need Internet to do homework, and because many parents can’t afford it, they have to do homework at the library. This is just one example of how low-income families have a financial barrier to digital participation,” said ACORN Canada president Kay Bisnath in a press release.
ACORN is a cross-Canada advocacy group for low-income families, and on Thursday, the group held events in Burnaby, Toronto, Gatineau, Ottawa and Halifax.
ACORN surveyed its membership and found respondents were unsatisfied with both their Internet and cellphone providers.
Tom Page, a member of the New Westminster ACORN chapter, pointed to data from Statistics Canada that showed one in eight families earning $30,000 or less does not have Internet access at home.
“There’s a need there, especially for people with disabilities who can’t get out,” Page said. “Having Internet is a vital link to the world, and they can’t afford it.”
ACORN kicked off the campaign in July, and according to Page, Rogers has already agreed to provide Internet service to low-income residents in Toronto’s housing projects for $10 per month. Local ACORN members are hoping Vancouver providers, such as Telus and Shaw, will follow suit, and they are also calling on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to ensure low-income people are provided with subsidized computers and $10 per month Internet access.
“I believe the companies should take social responsibility, and they should lead the way,” Page said. “Our position is it shouldn’t have to be legislated, but if it can be, that’s kind of a last resort. Companies should take responsibility for people in the society in which they operate.”
