(Toronto, ON) – TTC Chair Jamaal Myers, Councillor Josh Matlow, transit users, and women's safety advocates held a press conference at Toronto City Hall to call for the expansion of free public Wi-Fi on the TTC.
The TTC Board will debate a motion this afternoon introduced by Councillor Josh Matlow and seconded by TTC Chair Jamaal Myers to continue operating free Wi-Fi in TTC subway stations until the potential impact on low-income riders and women has been analyzed, and plan for a free Wi-Fi pilot for bus and street platforms and bays at stations.
Toronto's 2021 broadband study found that 34% of Toronto households worry about paying their internet bills, predominantly low-income, single-parent, and racialized households. Many TTC users are shift workers, women, and individuals with low-incomes. A 2022 poll commissioned by the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto found that 59% of women had experienced sexual harassment on public transit, and that transit users feel least safe in the subway and would feel safer with digital access.
If approved, the motion will also direct TTC staff to provide a cost breakdown of the $17 million Wi-Fi upgrade quote and more cost-effective options, and report on whether Rogers has any contractual obligations to provide Wi-Fi. The TTC granted Rogers a 10-year contract extension for the wireless network in spring 2023 after Rogers bought out BAI Canada, without a public vote or report to the TTC Board.
QUOTES:
”Communicating and accessing information during emergencies and service disruptions is a matter of safety and accessibility for transit users. Expanding free Wi-Fi to bus bays and street platforms at TTC stations aligns with Toronto’s goal to expand public internet access.”
- TTC Chair Jamaal Myers, Scarborough North
“Free Wi-Fi is a necessity for low-income transit riders who cannot afford expensive data plans. We need to know if there are more cost effective options for upgrading and keeping free Wi-Fi in TTC subway stations.”
- Councillor Josh Matlow, Toronto - St. Paul’s
“Women who use transit report feeling the least safe in the subway and that digital access supports increasing their safety. Several safety tools, including the "SafeTTC App," require access to Wi-Fi, as some people cannot afford a data plan. It is crucial that data related to transit be analyzed from a gender-responsive lens to inform actions and changes."
- Aakanksha Mathur, WomanACT
“The TTC says it would cost $17 million to upgrade and keep public Wi-Fi, but they have not shopped around because Rogers has an exclusive contract. Rogers should do the right thing and keep this service. I personally rely on the TTC’s imperfect Wi-Fi services because I can’t afford data. When I was a newcomer, I relied on Wi-Fi to get directions. I will probably be forced to become a fare evader if I ever become stranded with no Wi-Fi to add money to my PRESTO card, because PRESTO machines don’t accept certain increments of funds. Many times, I have been able to use the TTC Wi-Fi to top-up my PRESTO with 1 dollar or 50 cents to get home. Removing Wi-Fi is a further knock down to low-income people.”
- Elton Campbell, TTCriders
“The Internet is now a basic necessity to navigate and function in modern society. That makes providing Internet connectivity on Canada’s largest urban transit network too important a service to be restricted to those who can pay for it. OpenMedia urges the TTC to take steps to ensure universal Wi-Fi access through its subway stations and streetcars today.”
- Matt Hatfield, Executive Director/Directeur Exécutif, OpenMedia
Contacts:
Alex Forgay, Senior Communications & Policy Advisor to Councillor Josh Matlow, [email protected], 647-783-1007
Micheal Mason, Chief-of-Staff (Interim) to TTC Chair Jamaal Myers, [email protected], 647-409-6201