Broadband is an Essential Service Act

t BROADBAND IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE ACT PLEASE NOTE This document, prepared by the Legislative Counsel Office, is an office consolidation of this Act, current to May 29, 2029. It is intended for information and reference purposes only. This document is not the official version of the Act. The Act and the amendments as printed under the authority of the King’s Printer for the province should be consulted to determine the authoritative statement of the law. For more information concerning the history of this Act, please see the Table of Public Acts on the Prince Edward Island Government web site (www.princeedwardisland.ca). If you find any errors or omissions in this consolidation, please contact: Legislative Counsel Office Tel: (902) 368-4292 Email: legislation@gov.pe.ca PART 1 - INTERPRETATION Broadband is an Essential Service Act Section 1 CHAPTER B-5.01 BROADBAND IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE ACT PART 1 - INTERPRETATION 1. Definitions In this Act (a) “high-speed internet” means internet service with download speeds of 50 megabits per second or faster and upload speeds of 10 megabits per second or faster; (b) “Minister” means the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Artificial Intelligence or such other member of the Executive Council to whom the administration of this Act may be assigned by the Executive Council; (c) “strategy” means the Broadband Connectivity Strategy developed under section 3. 2021,c.19,s.1; 2026,c.11,s.3. 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to guide policies and investments towards a goal of universal access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet, particularly for rural areas of the province, given that high-speed internet constitutes an essential service. 2021,c.19,s.2. PART 2 – BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY STRATEGY 3. Strategy (1) The Minister shall develop a Broadband Connectivity Strategy that aims to deliver high- speed internet connectivity to 95 per cent of residents of Prince Edward Island by June 30, 2023, and to all residents by 2025. Elements of strategy (2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the strategy shall (a) identify the number of residents who lack access to high-speed internet and where, generally, they are situated within the province; (b) identify actions to be taken to achieve the strategy’s targets; (c) describe the roles of any partners in implementing the strategy; and (d) set out timelines for taking specified actions as well as performance measures against which the progress of the strategy may be measured. c t Current to: May 29, 2029 Page 3 PART 2 – BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY STRATEGY Section 3 Broadband is an Essential Service Act Updated strategy (3) The Minister shall ensure that the strategy is updated at least once every two years after its initial development under subsection (1). Progress report (4) Any updated strategy shall also include a progress report that summarizes the measures taken since the publication of the previous version of the strategy and an evaluation of the progress of the strategy against the performance measures set out in the previous version of the strategy. Consultation (5) In developing or updating the strategy, the Minister shall consult with representatives of the federal government, municipal governments, Indigenous communities and the general public. Publication (6) The Minister shall ensure that the strategy developed under subsection (1) and any updated strategy are published on a website of the Government. Tabling (7) The Minister shall table the strategy developed under subsection (1) and any updated strategy before the Legislative Assembly as soon as reasonably possible after they are developed or updated. 2021,c.19,s.3. Page 4 Current to: May 29, 2029 t c