The challenges with moving a new technology into rural areas could create new partnerships and opportunities.

The wired farm

Will 5G networks kick off a wave of innovation for Canada’s farms?

Users of the Samsung Galaxy S20 phone will be the first to have access to 5G technology in Canada. Rural residents and farmers will have to wait much longer – if the technology ever arrives. Rogers announced in early March that it is rolling out 5G networks in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal, with 20

Rural Landscape in south western Canada and snow capped mountains

Wiring the farm for the Information Age

The new classification of broadband Internet as a basic telecommunications service 
could significantly narrow the rural-urban digital divide

Information is power, and without data, it is impossible to operate a business — any business. At the tail end of 2016, Canadian agriculture received the news it had long been waiting for: the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared that broadband Internet access in Canada is now considered a basic telecommunications service for


Telecommunication tower with beautiful sky background

Study says faster Internet speeds not enough

The Rural Development Institute says increasing the culture of use in rural areas 
is equally important to making faster broadband available

A new study by the Rural Development Institute (RDI) in Brandon says rural residents will need help becoming more Internet savvy as faster broadband services become available. “Everybody treats broadband with a mentality of ‘build it and they will come,’” said RDI research associate Wayne Kelly. “What we’re finding, though, is that there is a

CRTC Internet decision draws strong support

The ruling will be a game-changer for Internet service in Canada say supporters

Rural Canada is in line to be a lot more online, thanks to a pre-Christmas ruling by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The commission concluded that residential and mobile Internet is a basic service required for modern life, as important as the telephone. All Canadians must have access to a basic service with

The ‘broadband gap’ still divides Canada despite investment, rural leaders say

Municipal leaders gathered in Winnipeg for the national Federation of Canadian Municipalities held a 
Rural Forum special assembly June 4 to draw attention to needs and policy issues for rural areas

Municipal leaders hope a $500-million commitment in this spring’s federal budget for expanding broadband Internet services to underserviced areas of rural and remote Canada achieves its goal this time. The “broadband gap” still divides rural and urban Canada despite significant investments already made trying to close it, said councillors and mayors attending the Federation of



“The bigger question is, who is going to own our land at the end of the day? Who is going to own agriculture at the end of the day? Is society comfortable having someone else own our land? Someone has to buy it and own it and operate it.” – Dan Mazier

KAP election priorities released

Money for agricultural research and innovation has dwindled in recent years, something that KAP hopes those vying for Manitoba’s top job will pledge to change

The Keystone Agricultural Producers is hoping to make the future of farming a higher priority in the run-up to the provincial election. KAP released its pre-election priorities document last week and it was full of items that emphasized the need to support and encourage young producers and new entrants to agriculture. “We talk lots about

Telecom proposal mixed news in rural areas

Telecom proposal mixed news in rural areas

Wireless frequencies now available to Internet users would be reallocated to cell phone use

Proposed changes to how telecommunications capacity is allocated could improve services for some rural Internet users, but be a step backward for those living on the outskirts of major population centres. Industry Canada is proposing to reclassify population centres of more than 30,000 people as “urban” and reallocate spectrum currently used only used for high-speed


Farm leaders waiting to see how budget cuts play out

Agriculture Canada will have its $3-billion-a-year budget chopped by 10 per cent during the next few years — but details are scarce. Both the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Grain Growers of Canada said they wouldn’t judge the budget until they learned more about how the reductions will be implemented. “Although on the surface the

News in brief

Canola board elections Staff / Manitoba canola growers elected Huge Drake of Elkhorn, Jack Froese of Winkler, Dale Gryba of Gilbert Plains and Clayton Harder of Winnipeg to represent them on the Manitoba Canola Growers Association board of directors. There were 8,983 ballots mailed out in the election this fall with 1.512 valid envelopes returned.