Connected For Success program reflects key values: Rogers

MISSISSAUGA, Ont.--Programs to bridge the digital divide experienced in economically marginalized communities are reflective of the core values of the telecom world, the Canadian Telecom Summit was told Tuesday. Navdeep Bains, chief corporate affairs officer with Rogers Communications Inc., took part in a fireside chat about issues affecting the sector. Earlier that day, the Toronto telecom announced its Connected for Success wireless program. Under the scheme, qualified recipients will get 3 gigabits of 5G data for $25. People on social assistance programs such as provincial disability benefits or seniors collecting the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement will be eligible for the program. Rogers initially announced the Connected for Success plan in 2013. Bains announced the Connected Families program in June 2018 when he was Innovation Minister in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. His new employer is backing the plan. “Rogers has really stepped up in this space in supporting this initiative and they expanded it with the acquisition of Shaw out West as well,” he told the conference. “So our wireline Connected for Success initiative is providing the deserving and supporting low income families with different packages.” The board of directors of Rogers is behind the program and wants to make sure no one is left behind. “They want us to do more, not less,” Bains reported. Bridging the digital divide is paramount for telecom companies, he told the audience. His firm is working with provinces and municipalities to identify those who need to be lifted up from poor connectivity services. Rogers has invested a great deal of money in its networks. Indigenous and rural communities are among the priorities. “When we’re building out those networks, we have some real challenges to be candid,” he said. “The cost of labour has gone up, the cost of equipment’s gone up, the cost of capital has gone up. But Rogers is committed to executing on that initiative to support the digital divide.” The company has budgeted $20 billion over the next five years to improve its digital infrastructure. Those investments need to continue, Bains remarked. “We've got some of the best networks in the world. That’s not by fluke.” He said the average Canadian telecom spends $168 per customer, dwarfing the less than $100 spent in other jurisdictions. He is excited about the prospect of satellite technology providing the last mile service to remote regions of the country. Bains said he enjoyed his decade in politics but had retired to spend more time with his growing daughters. He was asked about possible conflicts of interest between his former portfolio and his current job. Lobbying commissioner Nancy Bélanger raised concerns about the ex-minister’s new position with Rogers. She conceded he was following the rules but wants the lobbying law tightened. He told the conference that he has respected the lobbying rules. He compared the worlds of politics and business and found many similarities. He made the crowd laugh when he said he no longer leaves his workplace to be hounded by reporters. This report has been updated to give a clearer timeline of the Connected for Success program and to highlight the Lobbying Commissioner’s concerns over Bains’ employment. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca

Connected For Success program reflects key values: Rogers

News | November 7, 2023

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Connected For Success program reflects key values: Rogers

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