Sluggish Labrador internet should be political issue, Cartwright mayor says

There's no solution in sight, as frustrated Bell Aliant customers in coastal Labrador contend with dial-up-like internet.

The mayor of Cartwright, a community on the southern coast of Labrador,said internet access is so slow that it's barely usable.

• 'We're going back into the past': Coastal Labrador stuck with slow internet

"Professionally, I waste more time online trying to get work done than I actually successfully get things done," said Dwight Lethbridge, businessman and mayor of Cartwright. "It honestly does affect my life."

Lethbridge notes that to deal with both federal and provincial governments from the coastal areas,you frequentlyneed to access the internet.

"To me, this is the number one political issue, for me personally ittrumpshealth, ittrumpseducation, right now it trumps everything."

Even banking will be difficult for residents of Lethbridge's community, as the only banking service in the coastal Labrador communitythe Eagle River Credit Union closed earlier this year.

Bell Alianthasreduced download speeds from up to 1.5 MBto up to 256 KB, from Mary's Harbour to Nain.

Lethbridge wants both governments to interveneand explore adding telecommunications as a public service.

"As a taxpayer, I want my tax dollars going to that infrastructure and honestly, after the fact, I don't care if some high hog atAliantare getting rich off of it I don't care [because] lives are held up and lives are affected by not having access in this day and age."

In a written statement, Darin King, minister of business, tourism, culture and rural development, said the province does provide financial incentivesin rural areas where there would not be a "business case."

"The current situation concerning internet speed on the Straits of Labrador is unfortunate," King wrote.

King said that it's his understanding that if there is a second round of funding forConnecting Canadians a federal program that provides high-speed internet to rural areas Bell Aliant will likely submit a proposal for areas of Labrador.