Bell recently announced that it will bring the 50Mbps download/10Mbps upload speeds–the ideal baseline internet access speed set by the CRTC–to 80,000 more homes by the end of 2020.
The speed increase will target residents in rural areas. Bell says that it’s on track to deliver almost 50 per cent of its target wireless home internet (WHI) coverage by the end of 2020. With the improved service, more than 350,000 homes will have access to 50/10.
“The Wireless Home Internet program is fully funded by Bell but also enabled by a federal government policy environment that fosters investment in critical network infrastructure,” said Mirko Bibic, president of Bell Inc and Bell Canada, in a press release. “With COVID-19 underscoring the critical importance of high-speed Internet access for Canadians everywhere, and government support for enhanced investment, Bell is dedicating even more resources into expanding and enhancing our WHI network rollout to rural Canada.”
In July, Bell announced that it plans to increase WHI download speeds for 300,000 homes starting with Atlantic Canada.
This is another step towards the CRTC‘s vision of closing the digital divide between rural and urban broadband access speeds. According to the CRTC, 85.7 per cent of urban residents have access to 50/10, versus just 40.8 in rural areas.
Bell says that its WHI can be upgraded to 5G as the spectrums become available.