<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">I'm interested... sorry I missed the initial notice (out of the country).<div><br></div><div>JvL</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On May 12, 2014, at 12:22 PM, michael gurstein <<a href="mailto:gurstein@gmail.com">gurstein@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">This looks like an important initiative and one worth participating in if one falls within the category of “community non-profit service provider”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">M<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></div><div><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 3pt 0in 0in;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Rob McMahon [<a href="mailto:rob.mcmahon@unb.ca" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">mailto:rob.mcmahon@unb.ca</a>]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Monday, May 12, 2014 5:48 PM<br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Updates -- Association for community non-profit broadband providers -- CRTC Basic Service Objective Hearing<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Hello everyone,<br><br>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:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/backgrnd/plan2014.htm" target="_blank" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/backgrnd/plan2014.htm</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>. The plan notes:<br><br><b>"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."<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b><br><br>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).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br><u>Association membership</u><br>* Eeyou Communication Network (QC)<br>* First Nations Education Council (QC)<br>* Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (ON)<br>* First Nations Technology Council (BC)<br>* Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (MB)<br><br>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.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>I'll plan for a teleconference or videoconference meeting among members in the near future to determine next steps -- more information to come soon.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>Thanks, have a nice afternoon,<br><br>Rob<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Post-Doctoral Fellow<o:p></o:p></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">First Nations Innovation Project<br>University of New Brunswick<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>Vancouver, Canada<br>Phone: 778-837-1978<br>Email:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:rob.mcmahon@unb.ca" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">rob.mcmahon@unb.ca</a><br><a href="http://firstmile.ca/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">http://firstmile.ca</a><br><a href="http://fn-innovation-pn.com/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">http://fn-innovation-pn.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;"><span style=""><hr size="2" width="100%" align="center"></span></div><div id="divRpF895731"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Rob McMahon<br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Tuesday, April 22, 2014 8:34 AM<br><b>Cc:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:aloon@gcc.ca" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">aloon@gcc.ca</a>;<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:franz.seibel@knet.ca" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">franz.seibel@knet.ca</a>;<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:twhiteduck@cepn-fnec.com" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">twhiteduck@cepn-fnec.com</a>; Rob McMahon<br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Invitation to join national association for community broadband</span><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">** Please share this invitation to others who may be interested **<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>April 22, 2014<br><br><b>Let’s Build a National Voice for Community Broadband!<br></b><br>To all non-profit telecoms:<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">In the Three-Year Plan, some issues that the CRTC is seeking an opinion on include:<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">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.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>Please respond by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>May 2, 2014</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>with your ideas on how we can advance this national voice.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>If you support this work and/or would like to be involved moving forward, contact project coordinator Rob McMahon at:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><a href="mailto:rob.mcmahon@unb.ca" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;">rob.mcmahon@unb.ca</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b><br><br>Sincerely,<br><br>Alfred Loon<br>Eeyou Communication Network<br><br>Tim Whiteduck<br>First Nations Education Council<br><br>Franz Seibel<br>Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute<br><br>Rob McMahon, PhD<br>First Nations Innovation Project and First Mile Project</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>