A recent Ipsos-Reid study reports that while 91 percent of Canadians currently access the internet at home, that number drops to 70 percent in households with an annual income under $25,000.
To help address that issue, Canadian operator Rogers says it is further expanding its Connected for Success program to everywhere it provides internet service. The program is offering families and individuals living in rent-geared-to-income non-profit housing across New Brunswick will now have the opportunity to benefit from very low-cost internet access to help them fully participate in the digital economy. The program began in Toronto in 2013.
“From kids connecting after the school day is done to seniors staying in touch with their friends and using banking or government services, Internet access isn’t a nice to have – it’s a necessity in our digital world,” Ken Marshall, Atlantic president at Rogers, says. “We’ve had a tremendous response from our non-profit partners in Saint John and are thrilled to be expanding to the rest of New Brunswick.”
The expansion is kicking off in Saint John, in partnership with the Province of New Brunswick through the Department of Social Development. The service includes speeds of up to 10 Mbps download and up to 1 Mbps upload.
“The low-cost Internet provided by the Rogers Connected for Success program will allow our housing clients to improve their computer literacy skills,” Ed Doherty, Minister responsible for Poverty Reduction, notes. “It will also give them an opportunity to enroll in online training programs.”
Multiple non-profit housing agencies across New Brunswick that provide service to up to 19,000 families are eligible to enter into a two-year partnership with Rogers as part of the Connected for Success beta program. New Brunswick Housing reportedly provides subsidized housing for up to 5,000 of the 19,000 households across the province, and eligible tenants will receive a direct mail letter explaining how to sign up for the program.
“This is a hand up that will truly benefit the tenants we serve,” Crescent Valley Resource Centre’s Ann Driscoll says.
In related news, Rogers has also launched Internet 5, a new low-cost service for just under $25 that is available to anyone within Rogers’ internet service area.