[Advisors] TC -- moving ahead in 2015

[James Van Leeuwen]

Brian, 

I wish I could share with you some of the conversations I've been party to in recent months.

I largely agree with your comments about Canada's telecom industry and entrenched cronyism in government, especially under the Harper Government, which I think is doomed to be reviled by all future generations of Canadians.

But the gig is up.


Canada's economic and political history have revolved around wealth extraction, not wealth creation.

Centralized power and wealth have been inherent features of our traditional model of industrial capitalism because of the need for massive capital and infrastructure to extract and transport natural resources (Alberta's tar sand industry is a textbook case). 

We all know what the costs to Canada's rural and remote communities have been, especially First Nations.


Canada is now in the early stages of an economic revolution that is already quite advanced in other nations around the globe, especially nations with limited natural resources.

To quote Thomas Friedman, from his book The World Is Flat:

“The ideal country in a flat world is the one with no natural resources, because countries with no natural resources tend to dig inside themselves. They try to tap the energy, entrepreneurship, creativity, and intelligence of their own people-men and women-rather than drill an oil well.”


Canada cannot maintain its standing as a global leader, economically or politically, by simply ripping and shipping more oil, ore, timber and grain. 

To remain competitive in the most current sense of the word, we have no choice but to focus heavily on building and leveraging our intellectual capital.

The most exciting aspect of this looming economic shift is that it will necessarily engender decentralization of economic, financial and political power. 

We are each the builder, banker and and broker of our personal intellectual capital, and most of us already have the potential to broker our intellectual capital on a global scale. 

By way of improved mobility and connectivity, the frontiers of opportunity for leveraging intellectual capital will continue to broaden regardless of where we live. 

Universal access to capable, reliable and affordable broadband will become our most critical need, and we have some serious catching up to do.

Have you seen this recent video of Obama promoting community broadband, and for State governments to remove impediments to it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbol8oMNggs <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbol8oMNggs>



A regional broadband initiative is now emerging in a western province that may represent the future of broadband development across much of rural Canada. 

The initiative will be a collaboration between a First Nation and surrounding local governments, with the First Nation having the status of first among equals. 

The initiative has the backing of the region's federal MP, and the provincial government will be pointing to it as a showcase for the collaborative leadership they want to foster and support throughout the rest of the province. 

The best news is that incumbent network operators (Telus, Bell, Shaw) have not been invited to the party. 

They won't be invited until they demonstrate a serious and sincere interest in supporting wealth creation at the *edges* of their networks rather than at the centers. 

Some smaller Canadian financial institutions that are focused on impact investing are already showing interest in the community broadband opportunity, and I'll be meeting with one of them next week to discuss potential opportunities in Alberta and BC. 

Buckle up, because 2015 is shaping up to be a watershed year for broadband development in rural Canada. 


I have not played any role in the emergence of the initiative mentioned above, but I certainly look forward to promoting it as soon as the proponents tell me it's ready for prime time.

For now, here is a list of principles that are being discussed for guiding the initiative.

James

1. The principle of equitable access 

Every household in the region should have access to reliable and robust broadband service. 

2. The principle of affordable access 

Access to broadband should be affordable for small businesses and residents. 

3. The principle of commercial viability 

The region needs healthy commercial broadband service providers in the broadband marketplace. 

4. The principle of economic development 

The region must have broadband service available that is robust enough to attract new industry and business. 

5. The principle of education 

The region must have broadband service available to students in their places of education and in their households robust enough to support distance learning and student research. 

6. The principle of healthcare and tele-medicine 

The region must have broadband services capable of delivering tele-medicine diagnostic and specialty care to the communities in the region, and broadband in the home sufficient to allow home health services to be provided via broadband. 

7. The principle of digital literacy 

The region’s population must have the resources and skills to compete in the 21st century digital economy. 

8. The principle of local government responsibility 

Local governments recognize that sufficient broadband capability is a necessary infrastructure for the health and sustainability of the community. 

9. The principle of Federal & Provincial responsibility 

The Provincial and Federal government have the responsibility to ensure that this region has equitable and sustainable broadband infrastructure. 

 





> On Jan 23, 2015, at 3:48 PM, Brian Beaton <brianbeaton at knet.ca <mailto:brianbeaton at knet.ca>> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for this update James ... On one hand I like what you are writing and advocate but on the other hand I am feeling very cautious with some parts of what you write ...
> 
> It is the greed of the telecom giants that continue to create the inequities with witness across the country ... Their so-called business case works great in urban environments but to provide these same services in rural and remote communities only happens when the public resources are made available to them by their government buddies. And they want ALL the dollars and everyone to be good little consumers of their monopoly service .... This is the capitalist model that creates wealth and work as long as the resources exist to support and subsidize it. Alberta continues to champion this one along with the rest of Canada and the U.S.
> 
> So ... Until that really is confronted and changed everything else you write about is a pipe dream IMHO ... The First Nations have always known this reality and have paid a heavy price in so many ways for this corrupt and greedy capitalist system. The earth and Canada is dealing with the destruction produced by this selfish and ignorant system.
> 
> Until people and groups like TC start creating the changes in government then I fear everything you write about will simply be another colonial effort to exploit and grab what few resources the First Nations are accessing to build their own communities ... If TC is going to do what you suggest then I hope everyone will work with the First Nations so the poorest and most underserved Canada are served using public dollars instead of the near urban centers like Olds ...
> 
> Brian Beaton
> Researcher, First Nations Innovation project
> Grad Student, Faculty of Education, Critical Studies, University of New Brunswick
> Box 104, Fredericton, NB, E3B 4Y2
> 
> On Jan 23, 2015, at 5:57 PM, James Van Leeuwen <jvl at ventus.ca <mailto:jvl at ventus.ca>> wrote:
> 
>> Kristina Verner brought me up to speed this afternoon on the relationship between iCANADA and the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). 
>> 
>> My perceptions were inaccurate... there is no working relationship between the two. 
>> 
>> There is uncertainty around where iCANADA is headed, and I will do a bit more homework on this... technically, I think I'm still on their Advisory Board. 
>> 
>> 
>> Kristina is now helping to establish a Canadian chapter of the ICF, which will have a strong emphasis on smaller communities.
>> 
>> She tells me that ICF has recognized that digital inclusion and rural broadband development are principally an issue of leadership and community development. 
>> 
>> These are the areas where public policy and investment could have the greatest impact, and I see strong alignment with the interests and advocacy of TC. 
>> 
>> I trust that Kristina will keep us in the loop as the Canadian version of ICF takes shape.
>> 
>> 
>> I will bring 'ICF Canada' to the attention of the people I referred to in my previous email, who have begun crafting a framework for a nationwide initiative to focus on the same topics. 
>> 
>> The last thing we need are competing initiatives, unless it takes the form of friendly but serious competition between regional initiatives. 
>> 
>> Canada's traditional east-west rivalry could be a healthy one, if the purpose and spirit of competition were healthy.
>> 
>> By this I mean competition for the expressed purpose of improving competence on the part of all competitors... which is the original meaning of the Latin word 'competere' (to come together to strive, make better). 
>> 
>> 
>> This is all good news, with the possible exception of iCANADA's future... I will keep you all in the loop as I learn. 
>> 
>> 
>> For now, I have only one concern about a Canadian version of ICF, which is the ICF brand itself. 
>> 
>> It is neither an aspiration nor a statement of intention. 
>> 
>> It may be of no consequence whether a community is intelligent or not if the community has not defined and embraced a meaningful purpose for itself.
>> 
>> This, I believe, is the essence of the challenge we face across Canada at this point in our history... defining a clear and meaningful sense of purpose for ourselves that is relevant to the future rather than the past. 
>> 
>> The aspirations that make the most sense to me are to produce more intelligent people, and to become the world's best stewards of natural, social and financial capital.
>> 
>> This is the example - the leadership - that the world needs for the future, and Canada is uniquely positioned to provide it. 
>> 
>> Technology and intelligence are merely means to this end... they are not the end in themselves.
>> 
>> I also firmly believe that the key determinant of our success will be our effectiveness in engaging and collaborating honourably and effectively with our First Nations, and learning from the leadership that they are already providing (KNet, FNTC, and related initiatives coast-to-coast). 
>> 
>> The people on this forum already bring a wealth of experience in this regard, and I see this as another key area where TC can add value. 
>> 
>> JvL
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jan 22, 2015, at 11:04 AM, Marita Moll <mmoll at ca.inter.net <mailto:mmoll at ca.inter.net>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Well, when the CAP organization came along looking for an umbrella under which to promote its common interests, TC was a natural home for such activity.  I think promoting community broadband has always been part of our mandate as a space for people concerned about the uses of ICTs for community development in Canada.  Sounds like a pretty natural fit.  Let the discussions begin.
>>> 
>>> Marita
>>> 
>>> On 1/22/2015 12:28 AM, James Van Leeuwen wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> I've spent most of the last year at the working face of Canada's nascent community broadband 'movement'.
>>>> 
>>>> Interest is growing rapidly, and there is now a sufficiently strong footprint of initiative across Canada to get the attention of senior government and the regulator.
>>>> 
>>>> Regional initiatives are making the biggest waves, especially the SWIFT network initiative in southwestern Ontario:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> That said, there is still a serious lack of advocacy for community broadband in Canada, compared to the United States:
>>>> 
>>>> www.bbcmag.com <http://www.bbcmag.com/>
>>>> www.ftthcouncil.org <http://www.ftthcouncil.org/>
>>>> www.muninetworks.org <http://www.muninetworks.org/> 
>>>> www.ruraltelecon.org <http://www.ruraltelecon.org/>
>>>> www.ntca.org <http://www.ntca.org/>
>>>> www.ilsr.org <http://www.ilsr.org/>
>>>> 
>>>> An American firm, Magellan Advisers, just won the bid to conduct a broadband feasibility study for Strathcona County, a rural local government here in Alberta in immediate proximity to Edmonton.
>>>> 
>>>> Several Canadian firms responded to the RFP, including a colleague I've been partnering with on a regional broadband strategy for the Alberta SouthWest Regional Economic Development Alliance. 
>>>> 
>>>> My colleague previously developed the business case, business model and business plan for the FTTH deployment in Olds, and now sits on the governance board of Olds Fibre Ltd. (a.k.a. O-Net, www.o-net.ca <http://www.o-net.ca/>). 
>>>> 
>>>> He was unquestionably the most qualified bidder for the specified scope of work, and also had the advantage of actually living in Strathcona County - he was highly accessible. 
>>>> 
>>>> We think he was overlooked because the U.S. has a much stronger footprint in community broadband, and Magellan is the heaviest hitter in the U.S. service sector for community broadband. 
>>>> 
>>>> Magellan doesn't know a damned thing about Canada, but nobody ever got fired for hiring a strong brand name.
>>>> 
>>>> I expect this will be costly for Strathcona County, and I don't mean higher mobilization costs.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> If Canadian firms are to compete effectively in the emerging community/municipal broadband market, they will need advocacy as well. 
>>>> 
>>>> There is a pressing need for an agency to provide exposure, advocacy and guidance for community broadband in Canada, for the benefit of smaller communities first and foremost, but also for the growing service sector that communities and regional collaborations will require in order to establish and advance initiatives most effectively. 
>>>> 
>>>> I had hoped that iCANADA would evolve into this agency, but the lure of branding and consulting dollars seems to have pulled the initiative strongly towards the supply side of Canada's tech and telecom industries (incumbents).
>>>> 
>>>> iCANADA now appears to be a Canadian extension of the Intelligent Community Forum, which is based in New York City (www.intelligentcommunity.org <http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/>).
>>>> 
>>>> The ICF is naturally biased towards the interests of larger urban centers, which are already far better served with broadband and also with advocacy (votes), thank you very much. 
>>>> 
>>>> For smaller communities across North America, the Intelligent Community brand is generally a marketing liability.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Efforts are now underway to frame an initiative that would effectively advance the interests of Canadian communities large AND small. 
>>>> 
>>>> I'm presently on the outside looking in, but I will jump at the opportunity to get involved as the initiative unfolds.
>>>> 
>>>> As a policy shop with a Canadian focus, TC could bring relevant and immediate capacity to this proposed agency. 
>>>> 
>>>> You can see where I'm headed with this, but I'm already getting ahead of myself.
>>>> 
>>>> For now, the only opportunity may be for TC to become involved in the framing discussion. 
>>>> 
>>>> If the TC Board and membership are amenable, I would like to explore this possibility and report back.
>>>> 
>>>> JvL
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> On Jan 21, 2015, at 3:52 PM, Peter Frampton <pframpton at lefca.org <mailto:pframpton at lefca.org>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> I think your suggestions are good ones.
>>>>> Wondering also if we could see if the members might be traveling to a conference or whatever - to arrange a face to face.
>>>>> The National Social Enterprise Conference will be held in London Ontario in April.
>>>>> Is anyone planning to attend
>>>>> could we piggy back something
>>>>> 
>>>>> if so - I can reach out to friends/partners there and find some free space
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Peter Frampton
>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>> The Learning Enrichment Foundation
>>>>> 116 Industry St
>>>>> Toronto, Ontario
>>>>> M6M 4L8
>>>>> P: 416-769-0830
>>>>> F: 416-769-9912
>>>>> E: pframpton at lefca.org <mailto:pframpton at lefca.org>
>>>>> www.lefca.org <http://www.lefca.org/>
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 2015-01-20, at 8:16 PM, Marita Moll <mmoll at ca.inter.net <mailto:mmoll at ca.inter.net>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hello advisors.  As we are still in January, I don't think it is too late to wish all of you the best for 2015.  It may be cold and still pretty dark outside most of our windows, but at least we are moving toward those precious long warm summer days we are all waiting for.  The TC list has been very quiet for the last couple of months.  I think we all took some time to recover from the sadness of losing Gareth last year.  But, it is time now to think about how to move forward with TC.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In the final months of 2014 and with the help of John Wilkinson, a Toronto lawyer who came to our assistance thanks to miracle worker Peter Frampton, TC is once again on solid ground with respect to NGO status.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> TC is still the only organization of its kind in Canada, with a 20 year history of connections into community networking sites around the country, with the potential to reach some of that elusive grassroots constituency that politicians, pollsters and lobbyists crave for.  We have had success in the past, sharing strategies to keep CAP going for longer than it would have otherwise and contributing to research and policy on digital strategies.  We are still very involved in national (CIRA, ISOC) and international organizations  (ICANN, NARALO).  Needs and priorities have changed and strategies need to change as well.  But there is still a lot of value in this organization if we figure out how to use it.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> A current urgent need is find a way to begin holding regular meetings again.  The teleconferencing service that we were using is no longer available to us.  In the past we used a service called Freeconferencecall.com <http://freeconferencecall.com/> (https://www.freeconferencecall.com <https://www.freeconferencecall.com/>).  It worked pretty well but did entail long distance charges for those calling in, which generally does not amount to a lot these days, but could still be a deterrent for some.  I am looking for suggestions re: other options.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Once we resolve the communication issue, we need to set up a meeting to address some issues relating to the executive, review our mandate and set some goals and objectives for 2015.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Looking forward to hearing from you.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Marita
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>>>>> 
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