$1.7B broadband fund to launch in 2020, no formal consultation: ISED

The federal government won’t hold a formal consultation on the development of its $1.7-billion Universal Broadband Fund for rural connectivity, as it aims to wrap up the application phase of the project by the end of the year. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) confirmed to The Wire Report that there will be no written consultation process as the government determines how to structure the fund. “We will be engaging stakeholders directly and continuing to solicit feedback through our website,” a spokesperson said in an email. The government already began those discussions earlier this year before the federal election and planned to start “targeted in-person engagement…. immediately following the swearing in of the new government,” according to an August briefing note for the department’s acting deputy minister, obtained through Access to Information. But that plan raises some questions, according to Barb Carra, president and CEO of advocacy group Cybera, which ISED has not reached out to. “From our perspective, it is a little bit odd or concerning that it seems to be so informal, particularly given how much money is involved in the investment, and how comprehensive the CRTC, for example, has been in engaging and seeking feedback on even the $750-million Broadband Fund, which is less than half of what the Universal Broadband Fund is offering,” Carra said. The $1.7-billion fund was unveiled as part of the Liberal government’s last budget, alongside promises to connect all Canadians to speeds meeting the CRTC’s basic service objective by 2030. That commitment was reiterated in the Connectivity Strategy the government released in June. Carra said in a phone interview is that while the ISED website does give Canadians the chance to ask questions, “it really is, I think, missing more robust consultation, particularly as it has the potential to become the national broadband solution that we have all been advocating for and requesting for years.” She added: “So I feel like it does warrant a little bit more engagement than is currently, I think, outlined on the current website.” Others, however, took no issue with the government’s plans. “We’re comfortable with our opportunity to provide input per the department’s planned outreach, and look forward to doing so,” Jay Thomson, CEO of the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA), said in an email. The August briefing note outlined the government’s plans for an “engagement phase” in late 2019 that would help determine what the Universal Broadband Fund will look like. That included the launch of a website and speed tests that individual Canadians can participate in. The briefing note that said that the department would also begin “reaching out to existing contacts, partners and stakeholders,” and continue meeting with ISPs and “other interested private sector stakeholders” to talk about broadband policy issues, including open access and infrastructure. “These discussions will ultimately inform the development of the UBF program,” it said. The note said consultations by ISED staff would be “tailored to specific audiences and topics,” such as “Indigenous consultations, impact on competition / open access policies, etc.” It also said that the government would put those discussions on hold during the election period. That process is now up and running again. Another department spokesperson confirmed in an email in late December that ISED would “be further engaging key partners and stakeholders over the coming weeks and months to inform the design of the UBF, as well as updating the Get Connected with Broadband and Universal Broadband Fund websites to provide opportunities for Canadians to give us feedback on the UBF.” The government still plans to wrap up the application phase of the UBF in 2020, ISED confirmed. The UBF will follow the Connect to Innovate program, which came under criticism from the auditor general last fall. The briefing note said ISED is evaluating Connect to Innovate and the program that preceded it, Connecting Canadians, in order to identify areas for improvement. The document also noted the government plans to “leverage existing interdepartmental and federal/provincial/territorial committees to ensure a coordinated approach on extending broadband services.” The lack of coordination between the federal and provincial levels of government when it comes to funding rural broadband rollouts was one of the concerns that came up at a recent conference on rural connectivity. — With reporting by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

$1.7B broadband fund to launch in 2020, no formal consultation: ISED

News | January 7, 2020

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$1.7B broadband fund to launch in 2020, no formal consultation: ISED

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