SWIFT takes fibre goals to the Hill

Over six years after it was established, a government-funded non-profit initiative seeking to deliver fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) to about a quarter of Ontario’s — and 10 per cent of Canada’s — population is registered to lobby the government for the first time. The SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc. (SWIFT) project plans to construct a fibre-optic broadband network across Southwestern Ontario, Caledon and the Niagara Region for 3.5 million people in over 350 communities, leveraging $180 million in total investments from the federal and provincial governments and $17 million from municipalities across the region, according to its website. That funding faucet, however, only opened in 2016. Since then, SWIFT has been able to dig for more information from telecoms, municipalities and community members “to ensure that we are implementing a community-fed, evidence-based solution to overcoming our region’s longstanding broadband infrastructure gaps,” SWIFT spokeswoman Tammy McQueen said in an email. “We are now at the point where we have the data, staff and community support to start lobbying the government,” she added. SWIFT looks to provide affordable internet to those remote and rural “gap” areas that are too sparsely-populated for internet service providers (ISPs) to spend a lot on, given they have little prospective return on investment, McQueen outlined. As such, according to the new registration, SWIFT is advocating for funds to incent rural broadband infrastructure development and is looking to push for the establishment of a national broadband strategy. That strategy, the lack of which in 2016 riled up then-chairman of the CRTC Jean-Pierre Blais, would address issues such as penetration rates for broadband coverage in the country. SWIFT’s CEO Geoff Hogan appeared before the industry committee studying rural broadband earlier this month. He said the organization has received “significant interest” from the private sector to provide internet services using the network, suggesting there are 28 “pre-qualified” providers are eligible to bid and five who have come forward with an offer. The project will use an open access model, where competitors lease the same piece of fibre and compete on services over that line. Hogan reiterated his argument in front of committee that facilities-based competition in rural areas is unaffordable. The successful telecom will be subsidized by SWIFT, but after seven years, will own 100 per cent of infrastructure, Hogan said. The first phase of the build — about $288 million — is expected to begin early this year. It will then collect a portion of revenue from the telecoms connected to its network and plow it into the organization’s Broadband Development Fund (BDF), which will also collect funds from sponsorships, upper level government and memberships. The organization got started in 2011, with 15 rural members of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC), a non-profit intended to bolster prosperity in the 300 communities the SWIFT project is targeting. It now has the financial support of 20 partners, made up of counties and cities, and is asking for annual financial contributions from the federal and provincial government “to close the region’s $4 billion broadband infrastructure deficit,” McQueen said. Ahead of the upcoming provincial and federal elections, it has hired consultants from The Capital Hill Group to help form bonds with the middle and upper levels of government and to do its bidding in Parliament. Along with SWIFT’s entry into the federal lobbying space, other new registrations included a group seeking opportunities to establish a blockchain hub in the country. The Blockchain Association of Canada — formerly the Bitcoin Alliance of Canada — is a non-profit, industry-funded association registered to lobby on issues including taxation related to donations in cryptocurrency and outreach regarding blockchain tech and potential applications. The organization, which did not respond to a request for comment, is using Impact Public Affairs to communicate with the government, according to two registrations. It says on its website it provides its membership education and training, networking, advocacy and industry information about the new technology. Other new registrants in January included Quebec-based newspaper Le Devoir and Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec. The former is registered to communicate on funding assistance for the written press, under its director Brian Myles and National Public Relations consultant Marc Desmarais. Desmarais is also registered to lobby for the Bureau on matters of funding from the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions program. In the meantime, as of Wednesday, the number of telecom reports remained flat at 53 compared to December. Broadcasting saw a marginal uptick to 40 compared to 36 the previous month. Leading the telecom pack was Telus Corp., with 19 reports under CEO Darren Entwistle and one under Hill and Knowlton consultant Don Boudria, with subject matter on its registration including healthcare and cybersecurity. It has communicated with various government players, including deputy minister of finance Richard Botham, Innovation Canada’s chief of staff Gianluca Cairo, assistant deputy ministers Fiona Gilfillan and Eric Dagenais and policy advisor Parvinder Sachdeva and several members of parliament. The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) also filed 19 reports with subjects including funding for the creation of a mentorship program to boost skills in the film, television and interactive media industry. It reached out to officials including ISED’s director of policy John Matheson, Heritage’s chiefs of staff Leslie Church and Caroline Seguin and numerous members of parliament. Shaw Communications Inc. followed with nine reports under CEO Brad Shaw, on subjects such as public safety and cybersecurity legislation and the pending review of the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Acts. It communicated with CRTC chairman Ian Scott, ISED’s Sachdeva and Gilfillan, director of communications at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Kate Purchase, Heritage’s senior policy advisor Kelly Wilhelm, and Public Safety’s policy advisor Alyx Holland. And just under Shaw, BCE Inc. had seven communications under the registration of George Cope, with the subject matters of the registration also including amendments to the telecom and broadcasting laws. Those communications were with figures including CRTC vice-chairwoman of broadcasting Caroline Simard, ISED’s Dagenais and Sachdeva and policy advisor in the PMO Maxime Dea. Rogers Communications Inc., meanwhile, had four communications under head Joe Natale, with ISED’s Sachdeva and special assistant on policy Cameron Mitchell, PMO’s Dea and Global Affairs special assistant on issues management Jillian White. Subject matter of registrations included copyright and the review of the telecom and broadcasting acts. Xplornet Communications Inc. reported eight communications, six under its president and CEO Allison Lenehan and one each under two different public affairs consultants. Subject matters included rural broadband funding and communications with officials included ISED director Anna Sicoli, director general Sue Hart and Sachdeva. — With reporting by Ahmad Hathout at ahathout@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

SWIFT takes fibre goals to the Hill

Broadcast | February 21, 2018

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SWIFT takes fibre goals to the Hill

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