Item - 2022.EX32.1

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Province of Ontario to:

a. ensure that incremental investments in broadband from other orders of government are made in urban areas and directed to fill gaps in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area;

b. identify provincially-owned fibre assets that can be leveraged to help close the digital divide – such as in schools, hospitals and traffic corridors; and

c. review existing legislation to include provisions on open access to telecommunications cabling and trenching activities for all developments.

2. City Council request the Government of Canada to:

a. ensure that incremental investments in broadband from other orders of government are made in urban areas and directed to fill gaps in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area;

b. recognize that high-speed internet is an essential service, and formalize a definition of affordability that combines fixed and mobile internet costs as a percentage of household income;

c. collect and share local level data on fibre infrastructure assets, internet speeds, and internet service terminations/collection activities, where permissible and in cooperation with Internet Service Providers; and

d. request that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission examine supports for municipal carriers who wish to promote access to their fibre broadband networks for public and private service providers.

3. City Council forward this report for information to appropriate Federal Departments, Provincial Ministries, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

4. City Council direct the Chief Technology Officer, Technology Services to explore the specific opportunities outlined in the report (March 16, 2022) from the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services and Chief Technology Officer, Technology Services as well as other opportunities in continued consultation with Toronto's tech community, anti-poverty groups and potential end users, to help bridge connectivity gaps in the shorter-term for communities in need.

5. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to examine the inclusion of broadband access as a matter of public interest in appropriate sections within the City of Toronto Official Plan, as well as the identification of opportunities to integrate the provision of broadband infrastructure into the land use and development process in order to complement and advance the Plan's social, economic and environmental goals, with this work to start in 2023 as part of the ongoing Municipal Comprehensive Review.

6. City Council discontinue the Prudent Avoidance Policy for Siting Telecommunication Towers and Antennas, recognizing that evidence as outlined in the report (March 16, 2022) from the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services and Chief Technology Officer, Technology Services shows that the policy is no longer required, and that removing this policy will assist the City of Toronto in maximizing opportunities to extend high-speed internet access across Toronto.

7. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer, Technology Services to report back to the Executive Committee in 2023 to provide a further progress update on the ConnectTO program.

The Chief Technology Officer, Technology Services gave a verbal presentation on the Item.

At its February 2, 3 and 5, 2021 meeting, City Council approved the phased implementation of ConnectTO, a collaborative program that aims to centralize stewardship of municipal resources and assets to deliver on the City's equity and connectivity goals.

This report provides an update on the first phase of the ConnectTO program, and seeks City Council's endorsement of the proposed next steps for the creation of a City of Toronto Municipal Broadband Network (MBN). The intention is that the Municipal Broadband Network will be a City-owned, high-speed fibre broadband internet network that will support municipal operation and services, connect City-owned facilities, and that will be accessible to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in order to provide high-speed internet services directly to Toronto residents and businesses. This report also seeks City Council's support for proposed requests to other levels of government to improve infrastructure and address the digital divide.  

Since February 2021, staff have executed the ConnectTO Phase 1 work plan as directed by Council and built on the momentum of 2020 to continue expanding internet connectivity in several Neighbourhood Improvement Area communities. Specific updates and outcomes included in this report are:

- Expanded Free Wi-Fi in Community Centres and Toronto Community Housing common areas, as well as launching a Youth Learning & Work Placement Program through the Digital Canopy initiative in Tower Neighbourhoods;

- Continued partnerships with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to research and analyse digital access, responsible data collection and management, and the social impacts of ConnectTO;  

Initiated development of a Digital Equity Policy for the City of Toronto;

- Continued monitoring of Federal and Provincial initiatives, including activities of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC);

- Continued leading regular dialogue with other big cities coast-to-coast, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), and with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), seeking alignment on broadband priorities; and

- Conducted ConnectTO Municipal Broadband Network Phase 1 pre-tender information-gathering and issued a Negotiated Request for Proposals (nRFP) seeking suppliers to deploy fibre and provide low-cost high-speed internet access to 6,700 residential and business units in several Neighbourhood Improvement Areas. No responses to the Negotiated Request for Proposals were received.

It is clearer than ever that access to broadband, also known as high-speed internet service, is necessary for Torontonians to equitably participate in the economy and day-to-day life. Through 2020 and 2021, the experiences of Torontonians have highlighted the presence of a digital divide in our city, and that high-speed internet access is essential to the resiliency of our city and its residents. Toronto has the opportunity to leverage its assets and expertise in public service delivery to create an Municipal Broadband Network. The Municipal Broadband Network will not situate the City of Toronto as an Internet Service Provider, but will instead enhance local competition by bringing more capacity to Toronto's internet service market for a broader range of private or public Internet Service Providers. These efforts will also help the City of Toronto leverage its assets in partnerships with Internet Service Providers to make high quality and reliable internet more accessible for all residents, regardless of their financial means or circumstances.

Based on research, review of relevant jurisdictions, lessons learned from the Phase 1 Negotiated Request for Proposals, consideration of sustainable business models and expert advice, Technology Services is seeking City Council support for the proposed approach and high-level planning, administration, and governance activities required over the next three years to facilitate longer-term deployment of a City of Toronto Municipal Broadband Network. In following this approach, staff anticipate Municipal Broadband Network construction may be able to commence by 2024 and proceed longer-term by deploying fibre infrastructure assets in parallel with planned construction projects.

Once fully implemented, the Municipal Broadband Network would enhance the City's high-speed fibre broadband capacity, lower costs incurred by the City for its own network services, and provide the necessary infrastructure to support more robust competition in Toronto's internet service market. The City aims to achieve these outcomes by:

- Connecting City buildings, facilities and public spaces through a City-owned, high-capacity fibre broadband network (i.e. "the middle mile");

- Collaborating with private ISPs to provide affordable, high-quality internet services to residents and businesses (i.e. the "last mile");

- Creating opportunities for private Internet Service Providers to access City-wide fibre network infrastructure; and

- Ensuring that revenue or savings realized through the Municipal Broadband Network is re-invested to support connectivity in communities with a priority focus on Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving communities.

Given the long-term nature of an Municipal Broadband Network implementation, this report also outlines several opportunities to help bridge connectivity gaps in the shorter-term for communities in need.

This report aligns with, and supports the report from the Chief Technology Officer entitled City of Toronto Digital Infrastructure Strategic Framework: A new Principles-based approach for the planning and use of technology and data in Toronto which is also being considered by the Executive Committee on March 30, 2022.

Engineering and Construction Services, Social Development, Finance and Administration, Toronto Employment and Social Services, Purchasing and Materials Management, Toronto Public Health, People and Equity, Economic Development and Culture, City Planning, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Transportation Services, Corporate Real Estate Management, Legal Services, and the City Manager's Office were consulted in the preparation of this report. In addition, Toronto Community Housing, Toronto Public Library, and CreateTO were consulted on this report.

This report provides information on the ConnectTO program requested by the Executive Committee at its March 30, 2022 meeting, as well as overall clarification of the approach and priorities of the ConnectTO program.

At its February 2, 3 and 5, 2021 meeting, City Council approved the phased implementation of ConnectTO, a collaborative program that aims to centralize stewardship of municipal resources and assets to deliver on the City's equity and connectivity goals.

At the March 30, 2022 meeting of the Executive Committee, staff provided an update on the first phase of the ConnectTO program (item EX31.8). This report seeks City Council's endorsement of the proposed next steps for the ConnectTO program. The ConnectTO program aims to build and connect City-owned fibre to improve and expand the existing City-owned fibre network. Currently, the City's operational connectivity – the backbone for all digital infrastructure used to deliver City services – is enabled through a combination of City-owned and leased fibre.

ConnectTO firstly aims to more effectively leverage the City's existing investment in City-owned fibre and limit the current need to lease fibre from the private sector to reduce costs and improve security, reliability and availability of City services. Secondly, in the longer term, excess capacity in this improved City-owned fibre network has the potential to be leveraged for public benefit, such as bridging the digital divide.

The City owns and operates City-owned network infrastructure to deliver City services -- especially in critical areas such as water, transit, and traffic management -- and employs staff with the required technical skills, credentials, and expertise to do so. Owning network infrastructure improves security, reliability and availability of critical services, as well as reduces external costs to the City. Interconnecting City-owned fibre better enables the City to embed security by design across its network. Through centralizing the oversight, standardization, governance, and coordination of divisional fibre network activities, the City will interconnect City assets to deliver effective and efficient City services while reducing business and cybersecurity risk – consistent with other leading organizations. This is aligned with the ongoing centralization of technology and cybersecurity governance activities – recommended by the Auditor General and being led by Technology Services and Office of the Chief Information and Security Officer -- which includes setting the required best practices and standards for technology to mitigate cyber and enterprise technology risk.

An interconnected City-owned fibre network has the potential to unlock value for public good. With reliable and secure connectivity capacity, the City can deploy and sustain more Smart City solutions such as public Wi-Fi, sensors for environmental protection, machine learning for data-driven decision-making, smart traffic signals, connected green buildings, and other opportunities. In addition, creates potential revenue opportunities by leasing unused fibre strands to private Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and contributes to a smart local economy that is connected.

Engineering and Construction Services, Office of the Chief Security Officer, Social Development, Finance and Administration, Economic Development and Culture, Legal Services, and Toronto Public Library contributed in the preparation of this report.