WEDNESDAY, THE CRTC released a report by EKOS Research as part of its so-called Talk Broadband initiative.
“EKOS Research Associates conducted two types of public opinion research on telecommunication services in Canada and prepared a report for the CRTC. The first part of the report presents results gathered through a questionnaire that was completed by more than 30,000 Canadians. Between January 14 and February 29, 2016, close to 29,000 individuals completed the questionnaire. EKOS also administered the questionnaire with a separate sample group of over 1,600 Canadians representative of the population as a whole,” reads the release.
As EKOS acknowledges in the report, the “open” version of the consultation was completed by 28,794 individuals who “were self-selected and therefore do not comprise a random sample”. As a result, “the survey is not considered to be representative of the Canadian population and no margin of error can be applied to the results.”
The headline that CBC ran with said “Home internet is essential, but too pricey, CRTC survey suggests: Only a third of Canadians are satisfied with internet prices, while half are dissatisfied”. I’ve said before that I tend to question a survey that finds that anyone is satisfied with the price of anything. I’d like to see prices lower for electricity, gas, sushi, kosher food, tomatoes, milk, butter, taxes, cars and oh yeah, I would like lower internet prices, too.
But that isn’t what I picked up on. I noticed that despite kvetching about dissatisfaction with the price, all but 2% of the survey respondents – for the “representative” portion of the survey – subscribe to home internet.
"How do we explain the CRTC publishing a study that missed speaking to Canadians who don't have home internet?"
That was a source of concern to me. The CRTC’s 2015 Communications Monitoring Report showed a take-up of 82% of households, but the EKOS “representative” study had 98% take-up. At the time of the Monitoring Report, nearly 1 in 5 Canadian households didn’t subscribe to internet service, but only 1 in 50 members of the “representative” survey were Canadians without home internet. One would think the digital divide was solved if you read the EKOS report.
This survey was commissioned in January to help inform the CRTC's "evidence-based proceeding on basic telecommunications services." One of the key issues being reviewed in the hearing is "ensur[ing] that Canadians continue to have the ability to participate in the digital economy". The Notice of Consultation states "the Commission will ask Canadians to provide their opinions on the telecommunications services they consider necessary to participate meaningfully in the digital economy today and in the future."
How do we explain the CRTC publishing a study that missed speaking to Canadians who don't have home internet?
The CRTC’s press release for the public opinion report quotes chairman Jean-Pierre Blais saying “Access to basic telecommunications services is crucial for Canadians to actively participate in the digital economy. Since the launch of this consultation, we have been researching and analyzing the vast amount of information submitted. Canadians have risen to the occasion and have been participating in great numbers.”
Unfortunately, the CRTC’s research and analysis appears to have missed talking to the Canadian households in the greatest need of being heard.
Mark Goldberg has more than 35 years of international experience in strategic planning, managing, designing and implementing telecommunications carrier networks. His background includes heading the Network Services organization for one of Canada's largest long distance companies, developing the network architecture for competition in Canada, design of the US Government Voice Network, creating the business plan for Canada's Information Highway initiative, and helping international entrepreneurs launch traditional and enhanced telecommunications services. He is the co-founder of GST Conferences, a telecommunications industry training and conference company and the producer of the annual Canadian Telecom Summit held in June of each year. This commentary also appears on his blog, Telecom Trends.
