Telecom Policy, Town Hall Meetings, Community Technology

Support for CAP sites reinstated

in
March 16, 2010

In an astonishingly fast about turn, the federal government has rescinded the letters it sent out to community access sites informing them that they would no longer be funded unless they were more than 25 km from a public library. 

Industry Minister Tony Clement said it had been a funding envelope error.  The sites will  to be funded through the Rural Broadband Strategy program "while the Community Access Program is wound down."  It's a mixed message, for sure. 

Paving the road for AT&T: Canada at the Crossroads (1997)

in
March 13, 2010

Position Paper by Marita Moll to:

Universal Access Workshop
Developing a Canadian Access Strategy:
Universal Access to Essential Network Services, February 6-8, 1997

Information Policy Research Program
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto

Abstract

Alternative Federal Budget calls for national strategy on broadband

in
March 3, 2010

The  Alternative Federal Budget 2010 contains the following recommendations designed to bring Canada's communications infrastructure into the 21st century:

1.  Make access to "effective" bandwidth a legal right for all Canadians.
2. Fund a broad national consultation on modernizing communications policy:  $750,000.
3.  Support new and existing national public access sites: $40M.
4.  Begin planning forn next generation (higher speed) broadband.

International study exposes Canada's growing connectivity gap

in
March 1, 2010
 A study completed by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University exposes Canada's lack of progress in the area of broadband connectivity.  The "Canada" chapter of the final edition of this study concludes :
 

"Canada opened the decade as an extremely strong performer on broadband.  Over the course of the decade, its penetration rates have grown more slowly than those of other countries, its prices have remained high, and its speeds are still low in comparison to other OECD countries.  

Liberals say internet is infrastructure

in
February 16, 2010

 “Rural infrastructure like internet, roads and water services in every rural town needs to be modernized,” said Liberal Rural Caucus Chair Mark Eyking at a Feb 5 roundtable on rural-urban issues.  “That’s why we’re setting a goal of achieving full high-speed internet connectivity in every corner of the country.”  It is nice to hear internet described as infrastructure, which, of course, it is.  But the Liberals will have to go well beyond this goal to distinguish themselves from their rivals.

Future of the Internet Town Hall Meetings

in
January 20, 2010

Telecom Policy - Town Hall Meetings Written by Marita Moll Wednesday, 30 December 2009 In response to the lack of government action on internet issues, a number of public interest organizations have begun sponsoring town hall meetings to faciliate discussions on the future of the Internet in Canada. In 2009, meetings were held in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Halifax. Various others are currently in the planning stage.These include Montreal, Quebec City, and the Muskokas -- home riding for Tony Clement, Industry Minister.

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