3,000 have signed up to Connecting Families so far, too
OTTAWA – Following last month’s report from the Auditor General which said the connectivity needs of rural Canadians are too often going unmet, John Knubley, Canada’s Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, today said the ministry accepts the recommendations made in the report and are moving forward with plans to improve rural and remote internet connectivity.
“On strategy, we agree with the report, particularly in light of the CRTC‘s decision in December 2016 declaring broadband as a basic service,” Knubley said. “I believe the declaration has created…
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CALGARY – While telecom is a vital service for virtually every business in the country, Canada’s policy-makers appear preoccupied with whether services are priced fairly for consumers, says a new report by The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary.
The Economics Of Telecommunications In Canada: A Backgrounder says that the telecom sector is “an economic powerhouse” that is responsible for over 5% of all industry capital expenditures in Canada. The sector contributed products and services worth well over $30.3 billion to Canadian households, and products and services valued at more than $22.1 billion to other Canadian industries in 2013. …
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TORONTO – RTDNA Canada is calling for nominations for individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of their career in journalism or news management.
The award is for lifetime achievement rather than for a single contribution, and nominees should have a minimum of 30 years of distinguished service to the industry.
The deadline for nominations is January 11, 2019. More information is available here.
www.rtdnacanada.com
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‘TIS THE SEASON for telecommunications pricing studies: In the next two weeks, a trio of important reports will be made public: The CRTC Telecommunications Monitoring Report, the OECD Digital Economy Outlook Data and the so-called Nordicity Report.
All three are important as government officials speak often of the importance of evidence-based policy making and this research provides evidence which feeds into public policy.
Over time, a range of studies have been published by the likes of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), or the Yankee Group or other organizations. The narrative was generally that Canadians, compared with other countries,…
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EDMONTON – Super Channel’s programming VP Melissa Kajpust is leaving the company later this month to pursue other opportunities, the pay TV network announced Thursday.
During her tenure, Kajpust (pictured) served as production executive for Super Channel’s Canadian development projects such as Pure, Acceptable Risk, Forgive Me and What Would Sal Do? plus was responsible for all U.S. and international program acquisitions. She also contributed to the strategic programming direction for all of Super Channel’s rebranded channels (Fuse, Heart & Home, Vault and GINX Esports TV Canada).
“Melissa has been a valuable asset to Super Channel and was integral in seeing…
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OTTAWA – Given the breadth of witnesses and many proposals that have been put before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology over the last number of months, Copyright Board CEO Nathalie Théberge says the review and potential impact of the proposals will take time to assess.
“There will be a transition period, during which all players involved, including the Copyright Board and the parties that appear before it, will need to adapt and change their practices, behaviours, and, to some extent, their organizational culture,” she said, speaking about potential Act changes before the committee in Ottawa on Wednesday.
She…
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OTTAWA – Without the regulatory framework that has existed for the last number decades, the Canadian feature film industry would not be what it is today, according to Emily Harris, President of Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters (CAFDE).
Harris was speaking before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa on Thursday, and noted that it is CAFDE’s members that tirelessly work to bring the work of actors to the forefront of audiences. The committee is studying remuneration models for artists and creative industries.
While Canadian creatives are celebrated the world over, Harris noted that of the almost $1…
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OTTAWA – The rapid clip at which new technology is entering and transforming the world is creating both opportunities and challenges for Canadian companies driving the innovation
At the macro level, major “technology disrupters” are changing the way we live and work, according to Andre Leduc, vice-president of government relations and policy at the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) speaking this week at the third annual summit of the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN) in Ottawa on Tuesday during a panel discussion on “business in a hyper-connected world.”
Those disrupters include:
cloud computing and the remote workforce;
the user…
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Smart glasses as next-generation computing platform
OTTAWA – Jacob Glick has a pretty good idea about how people are informed and entertained.
Until early 2017, he was part of the executive suite at Rogers Communications as the Canadian media giant’s chief corporate affairs officer. Prior to that, the onetime litigator with major Canadian law firm, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, served three tours of duty with global tech titan Google, heading the public policy and government relations teams in Ottawa, at its corporate headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., and finally in Washington, D.C.
Glick’s gigs have been to highlight the intersection of technology, public…
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CALGARY – Shaw said Thursday that it is giving the gift of speed this holiday season by doubling the speeds of its top internet plans for all new and existing residential customers in Western Canada.
All existing residential customers with Shaw’s Internet 300 and Internet 150 plans will be automatically upgraded in the coming weeks to 600 and 300 Mbps download speeds, respectively, at no additional cost. Shaw added that existing customers may get their speed upgrade sooner by power-cycling their modem beginning Monday, December 3.
New customers may sign up for Internet 300 and Internet 150 plans starting aat $55…
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