简体中文
EnglishWhat Is CIRA's Net Good Program and Internet Performance Test?
Updated
CIRA's Net Good program is the not-for-profit side of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority: it covers grants for internet-improving projects, the Internet Performance Test, CIRA Canadian Shield, network resilience work, and policy engagement. The Internet Performance Test is the measurement tool within that group — it lets you check the performance of an internet connection. Both sit under CIRA's stated goal of building a better online Canada, alongside its core job of managing the .CA domain registry.
What CIRA is, in one paragraph
CIRA describes itself as "Canada's internet." It manages the .CA country-code top-level domain, and it also sells cybersecurity and internet performance services. Because it is structured as a not-for-profit, the Net Good activities are presented as the public-benefit arm of the organization rather than as commercial products.
Net Good: the five areas
CIRA's site groups Net Good into five items:
| Area | What it is |
|---|---|
| Net Good Grants | Funding for projects that improve Canada's internet |
| Internet Performance Test | A tool for measuring internet connection performance |
| CIRA Canadian Shield | A protective DNS / security service |
| Network resilience | Work aimed at keeping internet infrastructure dependable |
| Policy engagement | Participation in internet policy discussions |
CIRA Grants
Grants are the clearest expression of the non-profit mission: CIRA funds projects that aim to make Canada's internet better. The site presents this as "apply for a CIRA Grant," with the grants sitting inside the Net Good section rather than the commercial product catalog.
If you are considering applying, treat the grant as a project-funding program tied to internet improvement in Canada, and check CIRA's own grant pages for current eligibility, amounts, and deadlines — the homepage does not state them.
Internet Performance Test
The Internet Performance Test measures how an internet connection is performing. It is listed as part of Net Good, which tells you the intended purpose: giving Canadians data about connection quality, not selling a connectivity product.
A practical way to think about it: if you want an objective read on whether your connection delivers what you expect, this is the CIRA tool for that job. The homepage does not specify which metrics it reports or which platforms it runs on, so confirm those on the test's own page before relying on it for a specific measurement.
CIRA Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield is the other Net Good item most people will actually use. CIRA states it is now available across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. It is positioned as a way to help Canadians stay safer online, and it appears both under Net Good and under CIRA's cybersecurity offerings.
Network resilience and policy engagement
These two are less about tools you download and more about CIRA's role in the internet ecosystem: work on keeping networks dependable, and participation in policy discussions affecting Canada's internet. They are worth knowing about if you are trying to understand why a domain registry runs grants and measurement projects at all — it is the not-for-profit mandate in practice.
How the pieces fit together
- Commercial side: .CA domains, cybersecurity products (XDR, MDR, DNS Firewall, awareness training, Anycast DNS), registry services for gTLDs and ccTLDs.
- Net Good side: grants, Internet Performance Test, Canadian Shield, network resilience, policy engagement.
The same organization runs both, which is why Canadian Shield shows up in two places on the site. If your interest is public-benefit work, Net Good is the section to read. If your interest is a product or a domain, use the .CA domains or Cybersecurity sections instead.
What to check before you act
- For a grant: go to CIRA's grant page for eligibility, funding ranges, and application windows — none of these are stated on the homepage.
- For the Internet Performance Test: open the test itself to see what it measures and on which devices.
- For Canadian Shield: confirm current platform support and any account requirements on its own page; the homepage confirms Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android availability but not pricing or sign-in terms.
- For cybersecurity services generally: CIRA offers a "Book a meeting" path and lists solutions by industry (education, healthcare, municipalities, hosting/registrars/MSPs and resellers, enterprise and SMB), which is the route to take if you need a scoped answer rather than a self-serve tool.