Internet access one of priorities: CRTC chair

The new chairman of Canada’s broadcast and telecommunications watchdog has hinted internet access will top his agenda.

In a memo sent Friday to staff at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, chairman Ian Scott listed what Canadians want from the regulator that oversees everything from wireless customers’ rights to what ads can play during broadcasts of the Super Bowl.

Internet access was the first issue cited by Scott, a former executive at Telus Corp. and Telesat Canada who started his five-year tenure as CRTC chair on Tuesday. He previously worked at the CRTC in the 1990s.

“We know that Canadians want fast, affordable and reliable Internet access,” he wrote, indicating he will continue the process the regulator launched last year to shift subsidies to broadband from telephone services.

While Canadians in major centres and in some small communities are able to access ultrafast speeds of one gigabit per second (if they can afford it), some rural and remote areas are still getting by with top speeds of less than five megabits per second. In December, the CRTC set the ambitious target of increasing speeds across the entire country to 50 MBps download and 10 Mpbs upload, a standard currently available to 82 per cent of households.

Next, Scott listed access to and the ability to create high-quality and diverse content. This nod to the broadcast industry comes a few weeks after the federal government ordered the CRTC to review a decision that decreased the amount some television service providers must spend on made-in-Canada TV programming. The federal government took the rare step of sending back the decision after intense pressure from creative groups.

Third, Scott wrote that people want to use applications and services on devices of their choice. This could involve a number of policies, including the ability to watch television outside traditional broadcast environments.

Next, Scott pointed out the desire for the benefits of competition such as “affordable prices and greater choice.” Last, he noted that Canadians want protection from spam and unwanted calls.

“Finally, we know that the Canadian communications industry is prepared to satisfy Canadians’ demand, but also want to earn a reasonable return on their investments,” he wrote.