TORONTO – With a 700MHz spectrum wireless auction expected to take place in 2010, independent telcos need to be thinking now about strategies to get their concerns heard during the next few months of public consultation.
That was the advice from Peter Barnes, principal at Ottawa-based Tactix Government Consulting, during a Tuesday morning a regulatory update to delegates at the 2009 Canadian Independent Telecommunications Association showcase and seminars held this week in Markham.
Building relationships with public interest groups and local politicians is just one way for smaller telecom players to get their message out, ahead of Industry Canada’s issuance of a consultation paper and a policy framework for next year’s 700MHz spectrum auction, Barnes said. And as the former president of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, Barnes should have a pretty good idea of what’s needed prior to such an auction.
Independent telcos need to ensure they get their fair share of this very important piece of spectrum, he said. The 700MHz spectrum band, currently used for analog television broadcasting, and it will be opened up to wireless telecom providers as of August 31, 2011, when all Canadian broadcasters are due to go digital.
“This is a very significant pursuit,” Barnes said. “Being in or out of this game can be very important to a firm’s success.”
Barnes pointed out that in recent times the CRTC and Industry Canada have both exhibited an increased focus on the public interest when formulating policies and releasing decisions related to telecom regulation. In the case of the CRTC, the Commission is moving away from being an almost court-like body to being much more engaged with public opinion and wanting to be seen as part of the solution, rather than part of the problem, Barnes said.
He cited the recent example of the CRTC moving quickly to release its decision regarding wireless Enhanced 911 services on February 2. In Barnes’s view, the CRTC may have felt pressured by media reports in late December and early January that shone light on the current state of wireless 911 services, and more specifically on the lack of precise wireless-location technology that has in turn led to unfortunate tragedies where emergency responders were unable to locate people who required immediate help.
“The CRTC not only said, ‘We’re going to deal with this, we have a proceeding and we’re going to issue a decision,’ but in January, they said, ‘We’ll have a decision, it will come out next month, and oh by the way, it’s going to say that Phase II e911 is going into effect a year from now,’” Barnes said. “I can’t think of a case in the past where that has happened.”
Similarly, Industry Canada and the minority Harper government in general, seem to be much more responsive to public opinion when it comes to telecom policies. Barnes said, as an example, during the recent Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS) auction, then Industry Minister Jim Prentice made it clear that the policy framework governing the auction was created with the public interest in mind.
But according to Barnes, in opening up the spectrum auction to new telecom players, the industry minister may have had the interests of not only customers and the general public at heart, but more importantly, those of voters. And appeasing voters is crucial for any minority government, Barnes said.
Given an increased focus on public input into telecom policy on the part of both policy makers and regulators, this is a key time for independent telcos to think seriously about developing relationships with public interest groups who may act as third-party advocates during the government’s consultation proceedings, Barnes said.
“It’s important to remember that an informed intervener is a lot better than an uninformed intervener,” Barnes said. “If you’ve got somebody participating in a CRTC proceeding or an Industry Canada proceeding, and they don’t know what they’re talking about, and they go and make damaging statements, because they haven’t had the opportunity of speaking to you about the issues, chances are they will go off the rail very quickly.”
He added: “It’s worthwhile to sit down, talk to them, find out what they’re thinking, what’s their beef, because they may be one of the important pillars of an eventual (government) decision.”
Independent telcos have the advantage of already being close to their customers and “the pulse of public opinion,” Barnes said. Getting the attention of local members of parliament and the local press is also very important, he added. He pointed out that much of the public interest that was seen in the AWS auction was generated by a lot of press coverage.
“And a lot of that press coverage came from very effective advocacy work by people who were very active, delivering speeches and talking to reporters and getting the message out, saying if it’s more of the same, service will not improve,” Barnes said.
“So I think that debate will happen again (in the 700MHz spectrum auction) because the spectrum is very significant and the opportunity for new enhanced services is there,” Barnes said. “I think we can do a lot to stimulate public interest and to stimulate it in the right direction….We have to be involved and shape that policy discussion.”
