Broadband Benefits

Whether you are a household or business, individual user needs can vary. In general, however, both current research and evolving standards indicate that communities should aim for speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. For some more urbanized areas, with access to new technology, such as fiber optics, even higher download and upload speeds may be required. It is also important to recognize that speed demand will continue to grow over time, so using broadband technology that is scalable to higher speeds is important for meeting future needs.

While connection speed is the most obvious definition of service level, the reliability of the connection is also important and can vary for different reasons based on the type of technology used. Reliability is primarily about having continuous access to your Internet connection at the expected speeds.

The reality for rural communities is that many residents and businesses continue to lack access to sufficient broadband, or face high costs for acquiring broadband with sufficient speed even when that is possible.

For a more detailed explanation of broadband speeds and considerations, please refer to the Technology Overview.

Technology continues to evolve – for example the increasing use, and availability, of cloud-based applications – creating a growing need for more and more speed. As anyone who has owned personal computers for a number of years will know, software applications evolve in lock-step with computing power (CPU speeds and memory) and operating systems. Similarly, as Internet speeds and bandwidth increase broadly the services and applications offered and marketed to people largely assume that such bandwidth is available. The current emergence of ultra-HD televisions and content broadcast, including over the Internet, is just one example of this trend.

User needs will continue to evolve just as the Internet and its content will continue to evolve, with demand for speed increasing over time. Networks, especially new builds, should be designed to accommodate increasing speed demands over time.

Having a basic understanding of the different technologies available, as well as their benefits and limitations, is important when considering the current status of broadband in your municipality and the options and the implications for addressing them. It is possible that a mix of technologies may be needed to ensure that all residents have access to at least a minimum level of broadband service.

The most prevalent broadband technologies currently available are: Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Cable Modem service, fixed wireless, and fiber optic technologies, with some use of mobile wireless service as well as satellite wireless.

DSL connections use the telephone wire connections that are dedicated to each user, but signals that are carried over copper wire attenuate (lose strength) with distance. Cable Internet has good distance range but the facility bandwidth is shared by users within a neighbourhood. Fixed wireless has good range and speed, but requires radio line of sight that can limit availability. Each technology also uses very different network infrastructure and costs.

For new network builds fiber technologies are the first choice because of their virtually unlimited speed capacity and reliability, and “future-proof” upgradability. New networks may also include other technologies to augment fiber networks to access difficult to reach areas, e.g. with fixed wireless systems.

A summary of the basic broadband technologies and their relative advantages and a more complete description are provided in the Technology Overview.

Businesses are the main drivers for local economies and in an increasingly digital world it is ever more important for businesses to be competitive globally. The Internet opens tremendous opportunities for business growth while at the same time placing increasing pressures on businesses to compete outside the local community. Access to, and the effective use of, broadband enables businesses (especially small businesses) to compete effectively while also enhancing their productivity and bottom line.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the engine of employment growth in most communities. While large employee firms often get the most attention, by some estimates SMEs generate over 50% of job growth. Effective utilization of broadband leads to financial gains for businesses, stimulating and accelerating business growth. This naturally leads to positive employment impacts for the municipality.

In addition to the daily lifestyle benefits that the Internet offers individuals (e.g. communication, entertainment, social media, etc.), broadband offers tangible and meaningful benefits to households through opportunities for education, health services, employment, and household income. This is especially important for smaller and more rural communities that may not have the same level of services locally that are available in more urban areas. High-speed broadband is essential for effectively delivering many services and for households to benefit from the opportunities offered.

The needs and opportunities for benefiting from broadband will vary with the composition of each household. Not everyone needs to telework, and not every person is interested in or willing to start a home business. Access to high-speed broadband, however, provides these opportunities that otherwise would not be available. It is clear that many households do make use of these opportunities and benefit in a material way, whether it is through additional household income, education and skill development, health services, or better paying jobs.

Given how widely used the Internet is and how much it impacts our daily lives, virtually everyone is aware of broadband to some degree. Therefore, the availability of high-speed broadband has become an important factor in decisions on where we live and work.

• Businesses want to be able to access high-speed broadband for it materially affects their ability to be competitive in an increasingly digital economy.
• Homeowners want to be able to access high-speed broadband for a broad range of quality of life benefits, and to not feel at a disadvantage based on their choice of living location.

For households in smaller and more rural communities this becomes even more important where the availability of services and opportunities, such as education, health, and employment, locally can be more limited. Access to a wider range of service online becomes a great equalizer for quality of life.

Innovation comes from the creative minds of people and is enabled by their skills, knowledge and experience. The ability for people to share their skills, knowledge and experience and to collaborate enhances the creative innovation process. The Internet with its vast trove of knowledge and as a mechanism to communicate and to share information – with anyone anywhere – further enhances the opportunity to innovate.

This sharing can range from informal social media and discussion groups to more formally organized collaborations among businesses, academic institutions, governments, and other organizations with the intent of facilitating innovation. Many communities and regions have established innovation centres, labs, or business incubators to assist entrepreneurs and new business start-ups. Access to quality broadband enables effective communication, collaboration, and innovation.

As a communication and data transfer mechanism broadband enables the innovative creation of new services with new value, not only by connecting people but also by connecting devices and by developing new applications. This applies to both business innovation (commercial products) and to public services, such as telemedicine, distance learning, and civic engagement.

Smart manufacturing is defined[3] as the sophisticated practice of generating and orchestrating the use of data-driven manufacturing intelligence using multiple real-time smart systems pervasively deployed throughout all operating layers (i.e. control, automation, maintenance/reliability, trade-off decisions, operations, logistics, risk, business management, etc.) across the entire factory and supply chain. Smart manufacturing integrates network-based data and information that comprises the real-time understanding, reasoning, design, planning and management of all aspects of the manufacturing and supply chain enterprise (i.e. manufacturing intelligence).

The Smart City concept has been around for many years and there are many examples of innovation-utilizing technology and broadband connectivity in large cities around the world. These concepts are just as applicable to smaller communities where the infrastructure is available and the economies of scale make sense in relation to the opportunities and the needs of the municipality.

Perhaps just as importantly, the benefits to the municipality and its citizens can become an additional driver and justification for investment in improving their broadband infrastructure. Good broadband connectivity is a key underpinning for other technologies that need to communicate to deliver smart city capabilities and services. Smart cities utilize a range of applications that leverage what is commonly called the “Internet of Things” (IoT). An increasing number of devices, from home appliances to medical equipment to vehicles, contain intelligence and the ability to communicate and exchange data over the Internet, to each other, and to other systems and applications.