Conservative government to introduce digital economy discussion paper ‘very shortly’

The Conservative government will be introducing a digital economy discussion paper “very shortly,” Industry Minister Tony Clement told the House industry committee Thursday. “We’ll be launching a discussion paper very shortly that will go to the country, and the fact of the matter is we’re doing some things already,” he said. Michael Hennessy, senior vice-president of regulatory and government affairs at Telus Corp., said industry stakeholders have been expecting some form of consultation. “They’re not going to be starting from zero,” Hennessy said of the government, adding that it is ahead with policies like anti-spam legislation, national copyright reform consultations, a national broadband program, and the privacy commissioner’s review of social media and new technologies. “My guess is the government will try to look at these issues that are being dealt with in a lot of separate fora, and see if they can put them into a holistic context,” Hennessy said, adding that he expects policy proposals in the paper for discussion. Although the government has been consulting on the issue, Hennessy said it’s not been enough. “I don’t think there has been enough discussion. If you just throw out a strategy without more input, everybody will just complain.” CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein has called for a Royal Commission or national panel to develop a national digital strategy. “We’ve got to address it conceptually, and then piece by piece do the underlying, necessary legislative changes,” von Finckenstein said at the Prime Time Ottawa conference in February. “It’s to move an issue out of partisanship and put it to a respected body which has representation from all interest groups. Let them come forward as a group and argue on the substance.” Ken Engelhart, senior vice-president of regulatory at Rogers Communications Inc., said industry stakeholders were expecting either a discussion paper or the appointment of an advisory council to study the issue. He said he’s expecting a discussion paper with policy questions and potentially proposals. “It’ll be an open discussion paper inviting comments from everyone,” Engelhart said. He added that he expects some of the top issues in the paper to be broadband access, digital content, digitization programs, and Canadian content in the digital age. There is also potential for a discussion about opening up wireless spectrum for broadband, he said. As for telecom, Engelhart said Canadian companies are investing. “We’ve been investing like crazy,” he said, challenging recent reports that say Canada is a broadband laggard internationally. “If you look at just the last year or two, there’s been a massive increase in Internet speeds. All the cable companies are now offering DOCSIS 3.0, 50 Mpbs or 100 Mbps services. We have three carriers offering HSPA+, and wireless services at 21 Mbps. Canada has some of the fastest networks in the world.” At the Industry committee meeting Thursday, Clement said Canada’s digital economy must be improved through better adoption of information and communications technologies (ICTs). Clement said government and academia are doing their share to push innovation in the digital economy, but that business has lagged. “Business is not adopting innovation to the extent of our competitors and our trading partners,” Clement said. “That’s a problem.” Bernard Courtois, president and CEO of the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), agreed. “Many studies have shown that Canadian businesses, particularly medium and smaller businesses, for reasons that we’ve all been grappling with, underuse technology and underuse innovation,” Courtois told The Wire Report. He said investment in ICTs per worker in Canada is only 60 per cent of what it is in the United States. Courtois said Canada needs a national digital strategy like the 360-page National Broadband Plan released this week by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States. The FCC plan outlined broad initiatives to connect all Americans to broadband Internet of at least 4 Mbps by 2020, connect 100 million American homes to 100 Mbps broadband, and free 500 MHz of spectrum for wireless broadband. Clement said opening Canada to more foreign investment is one way to improve innovation and productivity. “All the studies indicate that keeping our economy open, where Canadian companies can partner with foreign capital, makes our economy more competitive, gives consumers lower prices and allows our companies to invest overseas,” Clement said. news@thewirereport.ca

Conservative government to introduce digital economy discussion paper ‘very shortly’

Broadcast | March 19, 2010

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