As my regular readers know, for eight years, since my opening remarks at The 2008 Canadian Telecom Summit, I have been highlighting the need to develop programs to increase broadband adoption by targeting affordability, looking beyond the traditional geographic based subsidies. In a speech at the Empire Club in late April, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains Minister Bains acknowledged that “social factors still mean that in many of our largest urban centres, including Toronto, low-income people are left out of the digital economy.”
The Minister’s speech was delivered just a week and a half after CRTC Chair JP Blais delivered his unusual mid-hearing address [beginning at line 7559 of the transcript].
Chairman Blais also made reference to “Economic access to broadband connectivity, including, in its most extreme form, issues of unaffordability.” It took a while, but at long last, the message got through. Every day that went by meant Canadians who are socially and economically vulnerable, continue to be profoundly disadvantaged.
Those were his own words, from the Chair’s mid-hearing call to use the basic services proceeding as “the last best chance to get [a national broadband strategy] right.” Yes, the CRTC Chair was correct in saying that Digital Canada 150 was more like a promotional brochure than a digital strategy.
But 11 days later, Minister Bains told the Empire Club “we don’t need any more studies!”
We understand the challenges. Now it’s clear we need to take some bold steps. That’s what the Prime Minister has challenged me to do. That’s what I’m going to do.
The Minister gets it. It’s time for bold steps.
Two years ago, I said it has been “too easy for the government to focus on programs to stimulate the supply of internet”; we need programs that increase computer ownership and broadband adoption among low income households, especially in homes with school aged children.
In the past month or so, both the Minister and CRTC chair have publicly acknowledged we have a problem.
That is the first step.
Where do we go from here?