HAPPENING NEXT WEEK, Canada’s Rural and Remote Broadband Conference (CRRBC) has put the finishing touches on the agenda for the virtual event, featuring a host of panel sessions devoted to discussions about bridging the digital divide.
As previously announced, Minister for Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef is the keynote speaker on Monday, June 8. Starting at 11:10 a.m. ET, Monsef’s talk is titled Covid-19 and Why Addressing the Rural Digital Divide Matters More than Ever. Following her speech, she will be joined by conference founder Amedeo Bernardi for a fireside chat to discuss the government’s intended direction for rural broadband.
Immediately following, the first panel session of the event will tackle the topic of Government’s Role in Addressing the Challenges of the Rural Digital Divide. Moderated by Cartt.ca publisher and editor-in-chief Greg O’Brien, the panel will include government experts from B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario as well as rural network operators.
Monday’s agenda will include two more panels featuring the topics of First Nations Broadband Connectivity and Economic Realities of Funding Rural Projects.
Then on Tuesday, June 9, the mid-morning panel session will look at Rural Community Broadband Models, with community and regional representatives from Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario participating.
The keynote speaker for Tuesday is Sylvain Raymond, acting director of the High Throughput and Secure Networks Program at the National Research Council, who will discuss the potential for new technologies to bridge the digital divide, including 5G, low earth orbit satellites and other advancements.
The Tuesday afternoon sessions include a vendor panel talking about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Lessons Learned from Deploying Broadband Projects, and technical experts discussing Measuring and Assessing a Rural Project’s Technical Viability.
For all the details of the virtual conference sessions and to register, please visit bridgingthedigitaldivide.ca/virtual-conference.
