MONTREAL – Four Telecom Laureates and a Special Recognition Award winner will be officially inducted into Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame at the Telecom Laureate Awards gala and induction ceremonies on Tuesday, October 16th at Windsor Station in Montreal.
The Class of 2007 Telecom Laureates are: Michael Kedar (Champion of Telecom Services Competition), Robert W. (Bob) Jones (Canada’s Radio Spectrum Ambassador), Frederic Newton Gisborne, (Colonial Telegraph Trailblazer), and C.R.O. (Bob) Munro, (Patron of Federally Regulated Telecom). The Hall of Fame’s Special Recognition Award for 2007 goes to the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), and a Career Service Award will be presented to Dr. Gilles Y. Delisle. eng. of the International Institute of Telecommunications.
“We are expecting an excellent turnout for our Telecom Laureate Awards gala dinner and induction ceremonies,” says Lorne Abugov, Founder of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame. “Most of our guests are senior executives from Canada’s large telephone companies, suppliers to the telecommunication industry, Government of Canada and Government of Quebec officials, and family and guests of the Telecom Laureates and award winners.”
Amongst the many confirmed special guests are: Jean A. de Grandpre (Founding Director and Chairman Emeritus BCE), Michel Guay (President of the Board TechnoMontreal), David Colville (former Vice-Chairman CRTC), Francoise Bertrand (CEO FCCQ and former Chair CRTC), Michael Binder (Assistant Deputy Minister Industry Canada), Veena Rawat (President CRC), Bernard Courtois (CEO ITAC), Andre Tremblay (Managing Partner TrioCapital), Michael Dunlop (Chairman of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame Foundation), Louis Brunel (President and CEO International Institute of Telecommunications), Peter Barnes (CEO CWTA), and Stephanie MacKendrick (President CWC).
“The Telecom Laureate Awards gala is the third gala for Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame,” adds Lorne Abugov. “It is quickly becoming Canadian telecom’s Golden Evening.” The Telecom Laureate Awards is the official ceremony held by Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame to induct laureates. The 2007 Telecom Laureates were announced on June 4th, 2007 in Calgary.
Established May 30, 2005, Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame is a not for profit organization with a mission to promote and celebrate the rich history of the telecommunications industry in Canada. The Hall of Fame fulfills its mission through two principle programs: The Telecom Laureate Program and the Education and Outreach Program, which serves to promote the historical legacy of success of Canadian telecommunications and encourages Canadian youth to choose the industry as a fulfilling career choice.
About the 2007 Telecom Laureates
Michael Kedar (Icons of Business Category). Mr. Kedar’s persistent and tenacious battle to introduce competitive telecom business services to Canadians is legendary in the Canadian telecommunications industry. In 1992, after leading his upstart telecom resale company, Call-Net for six years, Mr. Kedar succeeded in convincing the CRTC to break Bell Canada’s long distance voice telephone monopoly. Today, after launching several other successful Canadian and international telecoms, Mr. Kedar is the CEO of mobilExchange, a venture capital company in Toronto.
Frederic Newton Gisborne (Inventors and Innovators Category). Frederic Newton Gisborne is credited with several inventions and innovations including an anti-induction ocean cable and electric and pneumatic ship signals. Gisborne had the vision to connect Canada to Europe by undersea cable and to link the emerging Canadian nation by telegraph. In the 1850s, he laid successful telegraph cables to connect New Brunswick and PEI and the mainland of Nova Scotia to Cape Breton Island, and also succeeded in convincing a New York financier to connect Newfoundland to Ireland. Before the railway, Gisborne shored up Canada’s fledgling telegraph system spanning both the Atlantic provinces and the Prairie provinces..
C.R.O. (Bob) Munro (Advocates and Academics Category). C.R.O. (Bob) Munro was a formidable force in telecommunications law during the 1970s and 80s. On behalf of CNCP Telecommunications, he successfully argued in several crucial proceedings before the CRTC leading to the opening of competition in business voice and data private line services. Bob Munro’s greatest achievement was before the Supreme Court of Canada where he successfully argued the Alberta Government Telephones v. CRTC and CNCP Telecommunications case which affirmed that Canadian telecommunications regulation was exclusively a matter of federal jurisdiction.
Robert W. (Bob) Jones (Servants of the Public Category). Robert W. (Bob) Jones was chosen as a 2007 Telecom Laureate for his leadership of both the Canadian and global management of the radiocommunications spectrum. Bob Jones managed elements of Canada’s spectrum regulation at the Department of Communications and later Industry Canada during the 1970s-80, and was a key figure in the launch of cellular telephony in Canada.. Thereafter, Bob Jones was three-times elected to key leadership positions within the Radiocommunications Branch of the International Telecommunications Union, the highest ranking Canadian to ever serve with the international telecom regulator.
Communications Research Centre – CRC is the Canadian government’s primary laboratory for research and development (R&D) in advanced telecommunications. R&D is used for public policy purposes and to strengthen the Canadian economy through technology and knowledge transfer. Under its four research branches (Terrestrial Wireless, Satellite Communications and Radio Propagation Research, Broadband Network Technologies and Broadcast Technology), CRC specializes in taking an interdisciplinary approach to longer-term R&D in wireless systems, radio fundamentals, communication networks, photonics and interactive multimedia. More information about CRC is available at www.crc.ca
