TORONTO – After less than two weeks on the job, you really didn’t expect any big announcements, right?
Even though Industry Canada staff have been working on a new Canadian digital economy strategy for more than a year (and that former Industry Minister Tony Clement was poised to unveil it at Canada 3.0 in Stratford on May 2, until the election was called, that is), I guess it’s only fair for the new Minister of Industry Christian Paradis, to get his feet under him before unveiling something as big as that.
During his speech here at the Canadian Telecom Summit Tuesday, Minister Paradis did talk about the digital strategy, calling it “one of (the government’s) most important objectives,” and about spectrum, saying: “Our government has opened the door to greater competition by setting aside advanced wireless spectrum, opening the airwaves to new entrants… The result is clear for all to see: lower-priced services and greater choice for consumers.”
In a post-speech press scrum, we asked Minister Paradis what he thinks of spectrum caps or set asides for the upcoming 700 MHz and 2500 MHz auctions, and he was non-committal. “We are evaluating all of the options. I will try and see all of the players involved… but the bottom line is that we want to make sure that we can have a competitive landscape, which is good for consumers… The idea here is that we balance everything in the best interests of Canada and this is what we’ll work on in the next few months.”
The minister gave equally vague answers on the foreign investment question, when asked.
One item of note in his speech, however, might make Canadian broadcasters take note. While we already know analog over-the-air TV broadcasting must stop this August in most populated areas in Canada, in favour of digital, the spectrum existing broadcasters continue to use is being examined, too.
“The 700 and 2500 frequencies will not meet all demands,” Minister Paradis said in his speech. “That is why my officials are also exploring what other frequencies can be made available over the next few years.”
In the States, the Federal Communications Commission, backed by the White House, wants to repurpose more of the low frequency spectrum broadcasters use (looking to auction off 500 MHz worth) for broadband, taking it away from traditional broadcasters. It’s too soon to say what the Canadian federal government plans, however.
“The importance of the telecom and ICT industries to our economy is pretty clear-cut,” Paradis told delegates in his speech. “In reviewing our progress to date, I am impressed with the strong collaboration between government and the people in this room… As the foundation of our digital economy, it all starts with you—the telecommunications industry.”
