In an interview with Greg O’Brien at Cartt.ca, Industry Minister Christian Paradis gave previews of a number of coming attractions.
On the topic of the long awaited digital economy strategy, we are told to wait a little longer, but it will indeed be coming at some point after the next federal budget. Addressing previous commitments to release the strategy before the end of 2012, the Minister told Cartt.ca: “I wish it had come last year but frankly it would have been irresponsible.”
Cartt.ca also confirmed that the 700MHz auction will be postponed to the second half of the year, with the 2500MHz auction following closely behind in early 2014.
The interview turned to the subject of broadband for low income households:
Greg O’Brien: But will such a broadband push be part of the digital economy strategy? Can you look to the Connect2Compete program in the States and encourage something like that to happen here because that program doesn’t even involve any government money, it’s just a government push to get the carriers to act.
Christian Paradis: Yes, it’s a government push there and here the CRTC has jurisdiction over this. I am well aware of what you are talking about and I can tell you that some avenues are being studied as we speak and now the idea is to understand who can do what and some work is being done in the industry as we speak. This is something very interesting and hopefully when we come out with the strategy there will probably be some more clarification about that, but I don’t want it to seem like a pre-announcement because there is some information that needs to be sorted out as we speak.
I am not sure that I understand the punting of “jurisdiction” to the CRTC, but it was interesting to read the Minister’s statements about “some avenues are being studied” and work “being done in the industry as we speak.”
I encourage you to read the full interview on Cartt.ca.
All of these topics (and so much more) will be on the agenda for The 2013 Canadian Telecom Summit taking place in Toronto from June 3-5.
Stay tuned for coming attractions.