Rural N.L. residents want better Internet access

Some people in parts of rural Newfoundland and Labrador say improving internet access should be a federal election issue.

In Central Newfoundland, people in one small town say their limited access to the internet is a real disadvantage to businesses and individuals.

"It's just frustrating, at best," said Derrick Luff, who lives in Brown's Arm, just outside of Lewisporte.

Luff doesn't have access to broadband Internet so he has had to use a dial up service since the 1990s.

In 2005, the provincial government penned a deal with Ottawa to expand broadband services in rural areas, but that expansion didn't reach the part of central Newfoundland where Luff lives.

"The wife was on the Internet last night trying to download a flyer from Wal-Mart, I think it took her an hour," he said.

Luff said limited access to the internet makes it impossible to work at home or take online courses.