[Advisors] FW: Updates -- Association for community non-profit broadband providers -- CRTC Basic Service Objective Hearing

Mon May 12 11:22:31 PDT 2014

This looks like an important initiative and one worth participating in if
one falls within the category of "community non-profit service provider".

M

From: Rob McMahon [mailto:rob.mcmahon at unb.ca] 
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2014 5:48 PM
Subject: Updates -- Association for community non-profit broadband providers
-- CRTC Basic Service Objective Hearing

Hello everyone,

A brief follow-up note about the invitation to establish an association for
community non-profit service providers. This group can act as a central
coalition to represent issues of common interest before the CRTC. The
initial focus will be the CRTC's Basic Service Objective review (now called
the Basic Telecommunications Services review), which includes a public
hearing to be held in 2014-2015. The CRTC chair notes: "The activities we
intend to carry out in the shorter term include...initiating a review of the
basic telecommunications services required by Canadians to participate fully
in the digital economy." You can read more about this review at the CRTC's
recently updated 3-year plan:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/backgrnd/plan2014.htm . The plan notes:

"The CRTC will conduct, by means of a public hearing, a comprehensive review
to determine what services (e.g. voice and broadband) are required by all
Canadians to fully participate in the digital economy and whether there
should be changes to the subsidy regime and national contribution
mechanism." 

Here is a list of groups who have expressed interest in this initiative. The
group is open, so please share this information and let me know if you would
like to be added as a participant. (I have not included several researchers
working in this area who have also expressed interest in contributing). 

Association membership
* Eeyou Communication Network (QC)
* First Nations Education Council (QC)
* Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (ON)
* First Nations Technology Council (BC)
* Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (MB)

I will also set up a page on the First Mile website with information on this
initiative, and send it around once it's completed. After I send this link
out to the wider group, I will narrow the list to those who have indicated
an interest -- let me know if you would continue to receive updates on this.

I'll plan for a teleconference or videoconference meeting among members in
the near future to determine next steps -- more information to come soon. 

Thanks, have a nice afternoon,

Rob

Post-Doctoral Fellow

First Nations Innovation Project
University of New Brunswick 
Vancouver, Canada
Phone: 778-837-1978
Email: rob.mcmahon at unb.ca
http://firstmile.ca
http://fn-innovation-pn.com/

  _____  

From: Rob McMahon
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 8:34 AM
Cc: aloon at gcc.ca; franz.seibel at knet.ca; twhiteduck at cepn-fnec.com; Rob
McMahon
Subject: Invitation to join national association for community broadband

** Please share this invitation to others who may be interested ** 

April 22, 2014

Let's Build a National Voice for Community Broadband!

To all non-profit telecoms:

Now that the CRTC Three-Year Plan to revise its approach to
telecommunications is underway, we are forming a national organization of
non-profit telecoms to encourage the CRTC on our issues: advancing digital
communications and media; supporting digital literacy; promoting training
and capacity-building initiatives -- and making National Contribution Funds
funding available so that this will happen.

We invite you to join these efforts. Building a national coalition means
recognition by the CRTC as a consumer/community participant. It will make
policy representations; as a non-profit association, it will be awarded
costs at CRTC hearings.

We propose to build a common front that focuses on underserved consumers -
people who want to access broadband services - and community organizations
that want an opportunity to provide them. As an association speaking for the
north, for isolated communities, for remote regions and for non-profit
telecoms, it will serve a broad community that include Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal groups. 

*	The CRTC needs to hear a large voice, composed of a community of
interest. The overall goal of the national body would be to endorse similar
goals, identify common problems, and propose solutions together. Overall it
would stress the concept of "service providers" as consumers -- because in
the areas where non-profits exist, no-one else will provide the service.

*	This organization will be a collective voice -- a national view from
its members. But each member is still be free to speak to the CRTC on its
own behalf; this initiative would speak for common issues and regulatory
concerns.

In the Three-Year Plan, some issues that the CRTC is seeking an opinion on
include:

*	Telcos frequently refuse to advance services because they say there
is no "business case" to do so. We propose that instead of simply denying
service, the telcos should step aside and allow non-profits to provide basic
services - and be eligible for a subsidy where one is available. After all,
non-profits do not have any obligation to be profitable, and there is
abundant evidence that we can and do deliver services in areas where there
is no "business case". For non-profits, benefits can also be measured by
spinoffs such as social and economic development -- something telcos cannot
do. 

*	Community networks have a stronger incentive than profit-oriented
corporations to provide higher-than-mandated standards or services. There is
no incentive for telcos to provide more than basic services, or an array of
services or a higher quality level of service; as a result, telcos limit
community development of the digital economy and digital literacy. Local
telecom providers have strong links to the local community and hear the
requirements -- and complaints -- directly.

*	This work needs to be financially sustained. The Association will
propose making NCF subsidies into portable subsidies - and allow non-profit
community networks to compete for them under a system where the bidders
establish they can provide minimum+ services -- a measure of the social
value -- while respecting Quality of Service requirements. 

*	CRTC Chairman Blais has spoken publicly endorsing IP technology as
the best way to ensure that future needs can be addressed. It is time for a
national association to encourage the Commission to re-define Basic Services
to include IP services. The roll-out of new infrastructure and services in
High-Cost Serving Areas provides new opportunities for economic and
community development, such as providing or leasing telecommunications
services. 

A national non-profit association will have a role at the policy table to
present our case for non-profits to be eligible for the National
Contribution Fund. We can make it happen but with upcoming hearings, we need
to move quickly. 

Please respond by May 2, 2014 with your ideas on how we can advance this
national voice. 

If you support this work and/or would like to be involved moving forward,
contact project coordinator Rob McMahon at: rob.mcmahon at unb.ca 

Sincerely,

Alfred Loon
Eeyou Communication Network

Tim Whiteduck
First Nations Education Council

Franz Seibel
Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute

Rob McMahon, PhD
First Nations Innovation Project and First Mile Project

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