Canada’s national priority should be next generation broadband for all by 2017, Courtois urges

OTTAWA--Canada needs to move beyond the discussion of providing 1.5 Mbps broadband access to rural and remote communities and commit to next generation broadband for all Canadians by 2017, Bernard Courtois, president and CEO of the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), told the Senate transportation and communications committee Wednesday. “Today the question of broadband is more than just rolling out broadband connectivity to all Canadians at, say, 1.5 Mbps of connectivity. I know that job is not fully done, but in the policy sphere I think everybody’s minds have to turn to next generation broadband,” Courtois told the committee. Courtois said the country’s national objectives should be to achieve next generation broadband access across the country by Canada’s 150-year anniversary in 2017. Next-generation broadband is typically seen as Internet connectivity at speeds of 25 to 100 Mbps. Right now, Canadians are usually online with speeds between 1.5 Mbps to 10 Mbps. “The important thing in terms of next generation broadband is the ability to do interactive video, and probably high-definition video, and to truly be able to take advantage of the possibilities of broadband,” Courtois said. He said 10 years ago leaders focused on getting businesses and consumers onto the Internet. The “next wave” is to take advantage of the digital economy. Medical professionals, for instance, should be able to exchange images and conduct telemedicine, he said. Citizens should have the ability to access public services and interact with governments more efficiently over high-speed networks. “The digital economy is transforming our societies and our economies, and most people now realize how fundamental it is to economic growth and prosperity, social progress, and competitiveness,” Courtois said. Courtois appeared Wednesday as the committee’s final witness for its study on Canada’s wireless sector. The committee’s order of reference says its study on the wireless sector includes “access to high-speed Internet, the supply of bandwidth, the nation-building role of wireless, the pace of the adoption of innovations, the financial aspects associated with possible changes to the sector, and Canada's development of the sector in comparison to the performance in other countries.” The committee has been studying the issue since March of last year and is expected to issue its report before Parliament’s summer recess. Courtois told the committee that the debate about content has become integral to the digital economy discussion, and that it raises a need for content digitization programs, particularly for public archives. Canada’s public services must also deliver 21st century digital public services to citizens, he said. Courtois’ comments come as Industry Minister Tony Clement is preparing to announce a national discussion paper on the digital economy in May. The government will hold national public consultations on the issue—probably in the spring and summer—which will inform a national digital economy strategy that the government is expected to release before the end of the year. Courtois identified two questions to be answered through consultations: whether government funding will be necessary to accelerate next generation broadband rollout; and which areas of the country are most in need of network investments. He said he expects to see a need for government funding. “I believe there will be a need. There’s going to be a gap in the business cases, but it’s not going to be the same need as there was two or three years ago. Business is progressing, businesses will be out there serving those customers already and making money out of it,” Courtois said. He added that policymakers should not view rural and remote Canada as separate from urban Canada because rural and remote areas must be connected to take part in the new economy. “Rural and remote doesn’t mean only the farthest reaches of the Far North of Canada. It can also mean, sometimes, areas on the fringes of our major urban areas,” he said. “Broadband is more important in those areas than it is in the downtown cores of our big cities, because the ability to reach out and eliminate distance is of greater importance to economic development in those areas.” Courtois also suggested that next generation broadband is important to rural and remote communities because economics will naturally deliver new communication technologies to urban areas. During Industry Canada’s spectrum auction in 2008, he said, the spectrum serving the Greater Toronto Area sold for more than the spectrum covering the rest of Canada. Conservative Senator Donald Plett questioned whether Canada can now be considered a leader in communications technology and wireless connectivity. Plett said he views European countries like Estonia as leaders in the wireless industry. The committee visited Estonia last year to learn about its connectivity. Tallinn, Estonia, often ranks among the top wireless spots in the world and is recognized for its public Internet access kiosks, digital skills training and extensive e-government programs. Plett said he encourages leaders and decision makers to at least keep up with innovation in the United States. “If we can’t keep up with countries across the water, at least keep up with countries right next door,” he said. sdoyle@thewirereport.ca

Canada’s national priority should be next generation broadband for all by 2017, Courtois urges

News | April 30, 2010

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