The CEO of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador says reliable access to broadband is essential to the survival of rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Craig Pollett says high-speed internet is core infrastructure that affects everything from simply finding information, to business operations. He says the pandemic has laid that out in very clear terms, and businesses will not be able to survive without connectivity.

Questions are also being raised about students in rural communities who will not be able to avail of online learning without proper internet access.

Pollett says internet access is also crucial to make sure that municipalities operate effectively in the future, and referenced council meetings held online.

He says technology has proven a boon for smaller municipalities as long as you have high-speed internet. Pollett calls it a “giant pain” if you don’t, and it gets in the way of getting the job done.