Latest news with #CIRA
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
CIRA's Internet Performance Test turns 10 with new features and insights on Canada's digital divide
OTTAWA, Ontario, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CIRA is proud to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its Internet Performance Test (IPT), marking a significant milestone in the journey towards building a more equitable and accessible internet across Canada. Since the first test was captured in the spring of 2015, Canadians have run over 1.7 million tests, leveraging the tool and its crowd-sourced approach to better understand their connection. The platform allows local governments, advocates and researchers to track national progress toward closing the digital divide. Over the years, the data collected through IPT has provided insight into how the internet is evolving across Canada. In its inaugural year, the national median download speed was just over 11 Mbps, with an upload speed of 2.4 Mbps. Fast forward to last year, the national median speeds soared to 92 Mbps download and 27 Mbps upload, showcasing incredible progress. This milestone coincides with the launch of new CRTC hearings that will investigate how to improve the shopping experience for consumers to ensure they get the speed and quality they pay for. Key insights A noticeable inflection point after 2019 suggests that increased government and private investments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and its consequences on the online lives of Canadians—have significantly impacted connectivity. While rural speeds have improved substantially, the gap between rural and urban connectivity remains largely unchanged. Regional disparities persist, with New Brunswick enjoying relatively fast speeds, while the Prairies continue to lag behind. The far North, particularly the territories, shows the lowest connectivity levels, with median speeds well below half the national average. Latency—a critical quality metric that can lead to noticeable delays in online activities such as video calls, streaming and other real-time applications—highlights the challenges faced by networks covering vast territories. Areas such as Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan exhibit the highest latency levels, indicating the need for continued investment in underserved regions. Executive quote 'Ten years of the IPT marks a major milestone in Canada's connectivity journey. Thanks to community partnerships, we've built a powerful tool for change, but the digital divide persists. More than ever, we must keep investing, collaborating and pushing forward to ensure fast, reliable internet is a reality for everyone, no matter where they live.' — Charles Noir, Vice-president, Community Investment, Policy & Advocacy, CIRA New features To mark this anniversary, CIRA is rolling out a series of powerful new features designed to enhance user experience and deliver even deeper insights: Autotesting capability: the IPT can now run automated tests at regular intervals over hours or days. Logged-in users can track how their connection performs throughout the day. New speed categories: newly added categories highlight areas with exceptional service and ultra-fast connections. Basemap selection: in addition to the default street map, users can now switch to satellite imagery for added geographic context. Upload speed visualization: the Internet Performance Map now displays both download and upload speeds, offering a more complete view of internet performance. Expanded dashboard insights: IPT account holders now have access to more detailed metrics and visualizations via updated dashboards. Resources To learn more about the Internet Performance Test's past decade of impact on Canada's digital divide: To run a test and learn more about CIRA's Internet Performance Test, visit: About CIRA CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada's internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a secure and accessible space for all. CIRA advocates for Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians by helping shape the future of the internet. About Net Good by CIRA and the Internet Performance Test Net Good by CIRA supports communities, projects and policies that make the internet better for all Canadians including CIRA's Internet Performance Test (IPT). The IPT platform offers advanced and detailed diagnostic data enabling communities, researchers, and decision-makers to better understand and improve internet access in Canada. Each year, CIRA proudly funds its Net Good program from the revenue generated through .CA domains.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CIRA's Internet Performance Test turns 10 with new features and insights on Canada's digital divide
Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Nearly 1.7 million tests and counting for a data-driven look at Canada's internet evolution OTTAWA, Ontario, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CIRA is proud to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its Internet Performance Test (IPT), marking a significant milestone in the journey towards building a more equitable and accessible internet across Canada. Since the first test was captured in the spring of 2015, Canadians have run over 1.7 million tests, leveraging the tool and its crowd-sourced approach to better understand their connection. The platform allows local governments, advocates and researchers to track national progress toward closing the digital divide. Over the years, the data collected through IPT has provided insight into how the internet is evolving across Canada. In its inaugural year, the national median download speed was just over 11 Mbps, with an upload speed of 2.4 Mbps. Fast forward to last year, the national median speeds soared to 92 Mbps download and 27 Mbps upload, showcasing incredible progress. This milestone coincides with the launch of new CRTC hearings that will investigate how to improve the shopping experience for consumers to ensure they get the speed and quality they pay for. Key insights A noticeable inflection point after 2019 suggests that increased government and private investments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and its consequences on the online lives of Canadians—have significantly impacted connectivity. While rural speeds have improved substantially, the gap between rural and urban connectivity remains largely unchanged. Regional disparities persist, with New Brunswick enjoying relatively fast speeds, while the Prairies continue to lag behind. The far North, particularly the territories, shows the lowest connectivity levels, with median speeds well below half the national average. Latency—a critical quality metric that can lead to noticeable delays in online activities such as video calls, streaming and other real-time applications—highlights the challenges faced by networks covering vast territories. Areas such as Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan exhibit the highest latency levels, indicating the need for continued investment in underserved regions. Executive quote 'Ten years of the IPT marks a major milestone in Canada's connectivity journey. Thanks to community partnerships, we've built a powerful tool for change, but the digital divide persists. More than ever, we must keep investing, collaborating and pushing forward to ensure fast, reliable internet is a reality for everyone, no matter where they live.' — Charles Noir, Vice-president, Community Investment, Policy & Advocacy, CIRA
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors Conveys Emanuel M. Katten Founders Award to Keith J. Shapiro
MEDFORD, Ore., June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Emanuel M. Katten was a founding member of AIRA's predecessor organization. Manny was instrumental in the development of AIRA's CIRA certification program and numerous other association and professional initiatives. As a tribute to Manny's legacy, annually, AIRA conveys its Emanuel M. Katten Founders Award to a member of the restructuring community with a history of outstanding service and substantial contributions to the profession. In recognition of his many contributions to AIRA and the restructuring community at large as an attorney, advisor, and investor, at its annual meeting and conference on June 5, 2025, in Newport Beach, CA, AIRA recognized Keith J. Shapiro, Esq., Karlov Street Capital, Doral, FL, with its 2025 Emanuel M. Katten Founders Award. The Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors (AIRA) is a nonprofit professional association serving financial advisors, accountants, crisis managers, business turnaround consultants, lenders, investment bankers, attorneys, trustees, and other individuals involved in the fields of business turnaround, restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency. AIRA's mission is to (i) Unite and support professionals providing business turnaround, restructuring and bankruptcy services, and (ii) Develop, promote, and maintain professional standards of practice, including a professional certification through its CIRA and CDBV programs. For additional information on AIRA, visit For additional conference and program information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Canadian wildfire smoke spreads into New England late Tuesday and Wednesday
The hazy skies could hinder the Advertisement More than 200 wildfires burn across Central and Western Canada. FIRMS Why are we seeing Canadian wildfire smoke here? Our weather pattern is essentially working as a gear system between air masses. An upper-level trough over the Central United States is steering wildfire smoke south from Canada and across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and as far south as the Gulf Coast on Tuesday. You can see thick gray smoke just east of the bright white clouds across the Great Lakes and into the interior Northeast. You can see the dull gray smoke stretch across the Great Lakes and Interior Northeast. CIRA Meanwhile, a strong pocket of high pressure over the East Coast will flip our flow to a southwesterly direction, tapping into that upper-level flow and wildfire smoke pool, redirecting the smoke through much of New England late Tuesday and Wednesday. Most of the smoke will linger across Central and Northern New England, but Boston will still see some hazy skies. Most of New England will be able to see a fiery red sunrise and sunset. Take a look at the near-surface smoke forecast late Tuesday throughout Wednesday. Advertisement A look at near-surface smoke Tuesday night through all of Wednesday. Pivotal Weather Will air quality deteriorate? The smoke that is coming into our region is not forecast to reach the surface, which is good news for folks who have respiratory challenges, like asthma. The National Weather Service in Norton does not currently have plans to issue any air quality alerts for Wednesday given that our weather pattern should keep most smoke suspended. The higher elevations across Northern New England, which will be much closer to the thicker smoke, may not be as fortunate. There is a 50/50 chance for parts of Northern New England to see air quality reach an unhealthy level, including cities like Burlington, Vt., Plymouth, N.H., and Augusta, Maine. It'll be worth watching how the smoke behaves early Wednesday, but sensitive groups may consider staying indoors, especially if you experience respiratory symptoms during the day Wednesday. As wildfire season ramps up across Canada and the United States, sensitive groups can still be at risk even when inside. 'People can be at risk of exposure to wildfire smoke even when they are indoors. Up to 80 percent of wildfire smoke particles can infiltrate buildings through leaks and gaps,' said Shichao Liu, wildfire expert and professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 'With that in mind, people should consider taking steps to protect themselves not only when they are outdoors, but when they are inside too.' Ken Mahan can be reached at
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires have forced thousands to flee communities across parts of Canada — see photos of the 'challenging' emergency
Wildfires have been burning out of control in parts of Canada, threatening several communities and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. The conditions are so severe that Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency. According to Environment Canada's data on May 30, "extreme" conditions — the highest level — are also being seen in parts of Alberta, northeastern British Columbia, the southern parts of the territories and western Ontario. The poor conditions are also posing a threat to northern states in the U.S.; North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and states around the Great Lakes are expected to get the highest smoke concentrations over the next few days. "As we head into the weekend, pray for rain," Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said at a Friday press conference. "We haven't seen rain in the forecast yet. That could really help — sustained rainfall, in particular. But in the absence of that, the past few days have been very challenging, and that may continue." When Kinew ordered a provincewide state of emergency on Wednesday, telling reporters this is "the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory." The press conference came after roughly 17,000 residents were evacuated from the affected areas. That includes the entire town of Flin Flon, an area of around 5,000 residents. "The only folks remaining on the ground are firefighters and folks in the office of the fire commissioner and RCMP, who are there to battle the blaze," Kinew said Friday. "We do expect some very, very challenging conditions in Flin Flon and in the surrounding community." Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe declared a state of emergency Thursday: "It's a very serious situation that we're faced with," he said at a Prince Albert press conference, adding the province also needs to see some rain. Thousands have already evacuated their homes in the province. Below, see some of the most eye-widening photos from the incident that's ravaging parts of Western and Central Canada. Smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets much of central North America. — CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) May 30, 2025 Wildfires in Manitoba, Canada have triggered the evacuation of over 17,000 people. These aerial shots are unbelievable. — Met4Cast. (@Met4CastUK) May 29, 2025 smoke from Canadian wildfires — ian (@bigseawaterite) May 30, 2025 The Canada wildfire smoke has arrived. Grass got tough fast. — Maria Cox (@MariaCoxFarm) May 31, 2025
