OTTAWA – Last month, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains unveiled Canada’s Digital Charter, a document which outlines 10 principles – including “universal access” for consumers and “a level playing field [to] ensure competition ensure fair competition in the online marketplace.”
He also launched the Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence in which companies operating in this space attracted a $548-million investment in venture capital.
This week, Bains (pictured at last week’s Canadian Telecom Summit) spoke again to Cartt.ca about both initiatives as well as a few other issues, including broadening Canadians’ access to high-speed Internet.
Christopher Guly: What role will ISPs play in the Digital Charter?
Navdeep Bains: Everyone has a collective responsibility around the issue of building trust. Every company, including Internet service providers, collect a lot of data on consumers, so we just need to have greater transparency around data privacy. We want to make sure that privacy is embedded into the business model [of IPSs] that is consistent with our laws. As long as ISPs adhere to those laws, it will allow us to rebuild some of the trust that has eroded over the past several years – and that’s really the fundamental premise of the Digital Charter.
CG: Last week, BlackBerry issued a news release announcing its support of the Digital Charter and that it has been “recognized” by the federal government as a “benchmark for trusted technology.” What other companies have received this recognition?
NB: We have many, many sectors and many different companies recognized for security. For example, the banking sector in Canada has had a long and strong reputation – particularly after the financial crisis – for the regulations we had in place and the trust it had in the marketplace.
What we’re trying to do is not focus on one company or one sector, but broadly speaking, look at how we can really deal with the issue of trust in this digital economy because every business is now operating online and dealing with data.
I’ll give you Ford Motor Company as an example. It uses a lot of the data it generates from its vehicles, combined with its financing arm, Ford Credit, to find other ways of monetizing that data and providing a better customer experience. So when they do that, are they doing that in a transparent way, are they accountable, and are they adhering to a high standard when it comes to privacy?
The BlackBerry example reflects a company in Canada that many people know around the world when it comes to security and privacy.
If we want companies to succeed and grow, we need to provide laws and predictability with our legislation and policy proposals. Companies that really focus on privacy and security, and making sure people are more empowered tend to do well and have a strong brand – and that’s what we want to see in all different parts of our economy.
CG: Tell me about the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. Is it complementary to the Digital Charter?
NB: It is. It speaks to the fact that data is a key component of artificial intelligence. The AI advisory panel is really focused on two areas. One is how do we continue to commercialize world-class research and develop a strong ecosystem of companies that are growing and scaling in Canada. [The other] is looking at issues around standards and ethics as well.
CG: 5G wireless is going to power a lot of AI.
NB: 5G and the Internet of things is going to continue to generate a lot of data, and artificial intelligence is connected to that. That speaks to our government’s commitment of deploying spectrum in a manner that we have the right spectrum available at the right time for Canada to continue to play a leadership role in the deployment of 5G.
The Digital Charter and the AI Advisory Council is part of our government’s Innovation and Skills Plan. It’s a multi-year effort, and we’re going to continue to work hard to make sure we move this agenda forward and complement some of the work that we recently put forward, like the national Intellectual Property Strategy.
CG: Your cabinet colleague, Rural Economic Development Minister Bernadette Jordan, recently told The Wire Report your government will release a national broadband strategy before the October federal election. Can you speak to that?
NB: She’s really leading the charge to make sure that we address this issue of the digital divide. We have put programs in place like Connect to Innovate, which has invested a billion dollars.
In the past, about 41% of Canadians in rural communities had access to high-speed Internet. After we implement Connect to Innovate, it will be up to 51%… Clearly we have more to do, but it speaks to commitments we made in the budget around the Universal Broadband Fund and an accelerated capital cost allowance.
“Our priority as a government has been very clear from day one, which is about affordability.” – Navdeep Bains
We’re also monitoring very closely the deployment of funding from the CRTC for rural connectivity.
We have the key components of our strategy in place. Now it’s about execution and making sure that we hit out target of connecting every Canadian in rural and remote communities with high-speed Internet.
CG: At last week’s Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, you spoke about allowing mobile virtual network operators be included in facilities-based competition, which the major carriers oppose. Have you heard from anyone in the telecom industry since then?
NB: They recognize that our government appreciates the efforts of the investments they’ve made. We still need to have world-class quality networks. I talked about the importance of coverage in our rural and remote communities.
But our priority as a government has been very clear from day one, which is about affordability. I said I would be hot on their heels and continue to apply pressure to help reduce cellphone and Internet bills for consumers because this is a concern I hear from many, many Canadians across the country.
CG: On Monday, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh unveiled his party’s plan to make cellphone and Internet bills more affordable, which seems like you’re on the same train, aren’t you?
NB: I think it’s a testament to what we’ve done. We’ve been working on this for years now. We’ve put forward a program with industry by sharing data around the Canada Child Benefit for Connecting Families. This is high-speed Internet connectivity in urban communities for families that are getting the maximum child benefit. This is to help with the socio-economic issues. Yes, we’re dealing with a digital divide within rural and remote communities, but there are people in urban centres that can’t afford high-speed Internet access. So now we have this 10-dollar-a-month plan.
We’ve taken enormous steps to deal with affordability, but we have much more to do.
CG: The NDP plan calls for a price cap on cell and Internet bills; a “Telecom Consumers’ Bill of Rights,” and “an end to the egregious and outrageous sales and services practices of the telecom companies to protect Canadians.” Is the government on side with those three points?
NB: When it comes to the sales practices, they’re just basically following our lead when I gave direction to the CRTC to look at those unfair sales practices. [The NDP is] fully aware that the CRTC is working on a code of conduct.
So a lot of that work has already started, and I’m glad to see [the NDP is] on board with some of our policies.
