Rancher relying on hotspot for internet thrilled broadband deemed essential service

Ituna, Sask. isn't exactly far off the beaten path but it can be tough to get a good internet connection there, says one rancher.

AdrienneIveyand her family operate a cattle ranch outside ofItuna. They tether to a mobile hotspot which allows them to use 15 GB ofdata per month.

"You're in the middle of bidding on a $200,000 tractor and yourinternetcrashes," Ivey said.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission declaredaccess tobroadbandinternetservice is an essential service.

Iveysaid the ruling is fabulous.

"I think it's a very big step that the powers that be are recognizing that this is an issue," shesaid.

Ituna is roughly 110 kilometres northeast of Regina, and near centres likeFort Qu'Appelle andMelville, as well as the city of Yorkton all places where internet serviceisn't hard to come by.

In rural and nearby areas, getting a decent and reliable connection is another story.

• No connectivity: the internet 'blackout zone' that is rural Canada
• Federal government spending $500M to expand high-speed Internet to remote communities

'Options are basically nil'

"I think the biggest shock, I guess to myself, and the more that I've talked about this is that we're kind of the norm," she told CBC Radio'sAfternoon Edition.

Ivey said she realized how common sub par internet service in rural areas is while discussing it on social media with others in the same situation.

"In rural Saskatchewan, you don't have to be very far outside of any small town and all of a sudden, your internet options are basically nil," she said.

The bigger picture

Iveysaysher family's mobile data plan ishit-and-miss, but is ahead of where it was even five years ago.

When the limit has been reached, data is slowed significantly. SaskTel's fair use policy states that after a certain data plan has exceeded its monthly allotment, speed is slowed to two megabits per second for the remainder of the billing period.

"By managing the data usage of a very small group of the heaviest data users, we can maintain a higher quality of service for all customers," SaskTel says on its website.

"They basically cut you right off," Ivey said. "What's left is probably the equivalent of dial-up internet speeds."

'Not complaining thatwe don't haveNetflix'

There is no room in their data planfor leisure activities such as watching Netflix or the odd YouTube video, which her children might also use for a quick educational tutorial.

But theIveyfamily also banks online, which can also prove frustrating.

"We need to manage our data as best we can for the business side," she said.

"We're not complaining that we don't haveNetflix,"Iveysaid. "It's bigger than that."

Her kids do get access for homework assignments and projects, Ivey said, but it's very limited. The best part of any vacation for the children is getting to connect to a Wi-Fi spot, she said.

Peopleleaving rural Canada for the big cities is an issue, she said. And quality of life issues like poor internet access don't help.

"We still need people that are farming and that are populating rural areas. To do that, we need to make sure life in rural areas is just as great as life in the city."