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COMNET-IT Review on Member States - Canada in a Digital WorldThis paper will give a brief overview of Canada’s strategic approach to addressing the opportunities and challenges posed by new Information and Communication Technologies and the "Information Society" they portend for the 21st century. The paper, for the most part, is based on the publication "Preparing Canada for a Digital World". It is commonly accepted that developments in Information and Communication Technologies are preparing the ground for the development of an information and knowledge-based society. The growth of an Information Society suggests a move away from an industrial society in which the demand for and production of high quality tangible goods and services were the key to economic success. According to the Information Highway Advisory Council of Canada (IHAC), "The creation, manipulation and sharing of information and knowledge will become an overriding human imperative". The move to a knowledge-based Information Society poses major opportunities and challenges for countries, institutions and individuals. New Information and Communication Technologies play a significant role in reducing many of the traditional barriers to interaction and exchange. High speed, multimedia communication helps to reduce the barriers caused by distance and time differences. It also allows for quick and seamless cross-border data and information exchange. Information does not recognize borders. It is therefore easy for people in different jurisdictions to engage in transactions that cannot easily be tracked or restricted.
Canada has traditionally been a key player in the development of Information and Communication Technologies. Being a vast country with a widely dispersed population, it has historically sought to bind its seemingly disparate parts together with high quality, very well-developed communication systems. As a result, the country has traditionally invested heavily in developing and deploying modern Information and Communication Technologies. Canada realises that its traditional leadership in the communications field is challenged by the new technologies themselves. Canada’s approach to the Information Society is guided by three major objectives and five principles. The strategic objectives of Canada’s investment in building the Information Highway are:
The five guiding principles shaping the recommended approach to the Information Highway are the following:
The principles recognise that success in developing, deploying and using the Information Highway depends on an effective and cooperative partnership between government, institutions and individuals. The sustainability of any investment will require commitment on the part of all parties.
Building Canada's Information InfrastructureSignificant participation in the Information Society is dependent on the deployment of a robust and well-functioning information infrastructure. Building such an infrastructure requires enormous investment of capital. It also requires a substantial investment in developing the human resources and skills to design and manage the networks and related services. The Government of Canada recognises that the public sector cannot fund this investment by itself nor would this be desirable. It seeks to create an environment that spurs infrastructure investments and innovation. The guiding principle for creating such an environment is the promotion of private sector competition and promoting the policy of technological neutrality. Recognising the fact that many existing laws and regulations act against these principles, the government has begun to restructure the regulatory environment that governs Canada’s broadcasting and telecommunications industry. Over the last several years major changes have been made to various pieces of legislation to foster more competition in broadcasting and telecommunications. Licences have now been issued for new wireless broadband services using wireless multipoint communications technologies. Companies receiving the Local Multipoint Communication Systems (LMCS) licences can offer a wide range of services from local telephony to broadcasting. New telecommunications licences were also awarded to companies providing personal communication services (PCS). A number of companies, including Clearnet and Microcell, now offer these services in major Canadian cities. The Canadian Radio-television Commission has also taken steps to open up the local telephone and broadcasting markets. Cable companies and others are now able to enter the local telephone market and telephone companies, the broadcasting market. Telephone companies are behind several of the direct-to-home broadcast satellite initiatives. The monopolies of Canada’s terrestrial and satellite international telecommunications carriers were to end by late 1998. Teleglobe and Telesat are to face competition for the first time in their existence.
Encouraging Research and DevelopmentWhile the restructuring of regulations creates the conditions for attracting investments, it does not guarantee innovation and use. Another plank in the Canadian Government’s strategy for developing the information infrastructure is to encourage research and development in technologies and applications connected with the Information Highway. The broad focus of the R & D activities is on capability enhancement, interconnection and interoperability. This ties directly into the goal of developing widely accessible and interoperable networks. The primary vehicles for R & D in the information and telecommunications sector are government laboratories, private research labs and universities. The Government of Canada spends over Can$3 billion on R & D in government laboratories. Much of the research in government labs focuses on information and telecommunications issues. In 1993 the Government created the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education (CANARIE) - a not-for-profit, industry-led and managed consortium whose main aim is to "stimulate the development and use of state-of-the-art communication networks, products and services in Canada". It has a 21-member board representing both the private and public sectors. Initiatives under the application development program have led to the partial funding of over 145 projects involving almost 400 companies. One interesting project that is now in place is the Pilot Project for Aboriginal Networking (PPAN),a shared-cost funding initiative, which was established to further accelerate the development of network-based products and services by Canada's aboriginal communities. A total of Can$1.25 million was committed to seven projects under this program. Perhaps the most significant undertaking of CANARIE to date is the development of a research-focused Internet backbone, CA*net II. CA*net’s mission is "to facilitate the development of next-generation Internet infrastructure, applications and services, to promote joint projects and initiatives with counterparts around the world and to help keep Canada and Canadian companies at the forefront in the development of the global, knowledge-based economy". The key partners include Bell Canada, AT&T Canada, Teleglobe Canada and Stentor member companies. CA*net II will be deployed as a virtual network using ATM and SONET facilities of the telecommunications carriers. The network will consist of regional points-of-presence, called GigaPOPS, located in each province. Regional Advanced Networks (RAN) will then connect to the national backbone at the GigaPOP centres. CA*net will connect to similar networks internationally in Europe, the USA, and Asia.
Access: Cornerstone of An Information SocietyAccess to the Information Highway is critical to Canada’s future as an Information Society and its success as a knowledge economy. For individual Canadians and institutions to benefit from and advance the information economy, they must have access, not only to basic telecommunications and broadcasting services, but to well-developed multimedia services as well. The Information Highway Advisory Council has proposed the following guiding principles for a national universal access strategy:
Universal and affordable access has long been an essential part of Canada’s communications policy. The country has been very successful in bringing basic broadcasting and telecommunication services to more than 95% of the Canadian population. People in almost all communities in Canada, including those in the remote north, have access to basic services. It is the position of the Government that the principle of universality, affordability, and equitable access should be a central part of any policy relating to the Information Highway. Canadians should not be disadvantaged because of their location or financial position. People with low incomes and those in rural areas should have comparable access to the Information Highway as those with higher incomes living in cities and towns. Industry Canada is spearheading two programs that seek to address the issue of public access to the Internet. These are the Community Access Program and Schoolnet. The Community Access Program allows rural and remote communities to receive government services and information electronically and helps them develop the skills necessary to participate in the information economy. It provides up to Can$30,000, a site for equipment, connections, technical support and training. In 1996, there were over 380 sites up and running or under construction. In the federal budget of February 1997 the Community Access Program was extended to cover 5,000 rural and remote communities by the year 2000. The SchoolNet project is another significant way of bringing access to communities. The program provides students and teachers with access to hundreds of online services. The government, working in partnership with the Stentor telephone companies, aims to extend connections to all 16,500 schools in Canada. Closely related to the connectivity issue is the ability of Canadians to actively access public information and participate in local and national debate about issues affecting their lives. Participation through the digital media requires a certain level of digital literacy. Citizens need to be presented with opportunities to learn, use, and manipulate digital media technology and products. The Community Access Program and SchoolNet, along with other community-based networks and freenets, provide these opportunities. Computer literacy has become an essential part of each school’s curriculum. With Canada being a bilingual society, people need to have information presented to them in an accessible language. The dominance of English in the traditional and emerging media makes it all the more important for Canada to make a special effort to provide access to information and services in the French language.
Canadian ContentCanada faces an uphill struggle in providing access to Canadian content that reflects its cultural diversity and linguistic duality. Living under the shadow of the United States, Canadians are bombarded with massive amounts of programming and information content originating in that country. In an effort to maintain its sovereignty and cultural identity Canada has traditionally taken a number of steps to promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of Canadian content. These have usually been in the form of direct support or incentives for the creation and development of Canadian material, particularly in the area of film and book production. The move to a digital environment makes the issue of developing Canadian content more urgent. The sheer volume of information on the Internet can make it very hard to locate content reflecting Canada’s identity. The IHAC proposes that content development is not only important in preserving Canada’s identity, but is also an important source of jobs and skill development. Producing content for the Information Highway requires not only creative skills but also considerable technical expertise. By focusing on multimedia skills Canada will develop competencies that will not only be needed locally but abroad also. Considerable amounts of funds are being put into supporting regional centres of excellence to support and stimulate the development of multimedia content. Examples of these centres include the Centre of Expertise in Applications of Multimedia in Montreal, the Edmonton Multimedia Initiative, Ottawa’s New Media North and Smart Toronto. The question of providing content in French is uppermost in the minds of policy makers. While recognizing that English will continue to dominate the new media, the IHAC has called on the Canadian Government to commit at least one-third of the financial resources of the proposed Canadian Multimedia Fund for French-Language projects.
Jobs in a Digital WorldAt the heart of Canada’s involvement in developing and promoting the knowledge-based society is the concern for jobs and sustained economic growth. In a world where economic activity centres on the creation and dissemination of ideas, information and knowledge, many opportunities arise for the creation of highly skilled jobs. These are particularly prevalent in the area of content development and service provision. The growth of the Information Society is, however, a double-edged sword as far as jobs are concerned. While there is significant growth in jobs in the high technology sectors there are a commensurate number of job losses in traditional manufacturing sectors. Research in Canada suggests that growth in jobs overall has not been as good as hoped. This leads many to wonder whether or not the extensive deployment of Information and Communication Technologies is actually a job killer. Canada, along with many other countries, faces enormous human resource challenges. In the face of very high youth unemployment there is an acute shortage of highly skilled IT workers. This situation does not bode well for the Information Society. For Canada to be competitive and excel it needs a large base of highly skilled workers. This means that a considerable amount of effort will have to be put into developing new technology skills among workers in general, but young people in particular. Most Canadian jobs are created by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). "Fifty-seven percent of Canada’s economic output comes from its more than 2.2 million SMEs. Firms with fewer than 100 employees contribute 42.5 percent of the private sector’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 49.5 percent of employment. Since 1983, the SME sector has been virtually the only net generator of jobs in the entire Canadian economy." SMEs can benefit significantly from doing business electronically. They will be able to reduce transaction costs and gain exposure to a broader client base. However, the Information Highway specifically threatens this same sector. Some businesses, e.g. travel agents, may see their business eroded or eliminated completely. The Government of Canada is working to stimulate the growth of small businesses, particularly in the high technology sectors. Through the Business Development Bank of Canada, the Government hopes to foster the creation and growth of SMEs. The health and education sectors provide great opportunities for growth in high technology jobs. In the new economy there will be significant demand for multimedia content development skills to support telemedicine and technology-assisted learning. Canada is taking steps to become a leader in these areas.
Lifelong Learning in an Information SocietyThe Information Society will bring about significant changes in the nature of work and leisure. The concept of a lifetime career with one employer is fast fading away. There is now a lot more emphasis on contract work, telework and self-employment. Some of this is involuntary. However, many highly skilled workers are opting for these employment arrangements to give them control over their work lives and to broaden their exposure. These rapid changes mean that people have to be constantly learning. In order to survive in the job marketplace workers will need to constantly upgrade their skills. This means that governments, in partnership with industry and education sectors, will need to develop mechanisms that will meet the lifelong learning needs of workers. The changes in the nature of work also mean that there needs to be changes in labour standards and practices. In Canada, policy makers face a considerable challenge in meeting the needs of workers and employers with regard to these matters. Employers are looking for more job flexibility while employees want to ensure a basic level of protection from exploitation. Creative ways need to be found to solve these problems.
Conclusions: Canada’s Digital FutureThe Information Society promises to transform Canada, and indeed the world, significantly. Many observers forecast new levels of prosperity and quality of life. Others, however, see an increasing gulf between those that have and those that do not. Knowledge workers will be in great demand while the need for industrial workers will decline rapidly. How can Canada ensure that the majority will benefit from a move to an information-based society? The Information Highway Advisory Council suggests four imperatives for reaping the benefits and mitigating the risks posed by the Information Society. Canadian policy with regards to the Information Society should focus on:
The opportunities available in a knowledge-based economy are numerous and real - "provided that everyone can respond wisely and quickly to the new realities."
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