Rural, Indigenous, connectivity won’t improve by 2030 if Gov. keeps current goals in place : Report

Canada’s targets of reaching connectivity speeds of 50 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads with unlimited monthly data transfer (50/10 unlimited) “are insufficient and will not meet the needs of rural, remote and Indigenous communities,” according to a new report which recommends the government change its “complex” broadband funding schemes, spectrum allocation approach, and data collection methods. Thursday, the non-profit organization Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) released an expert panel report on the “systemic issues'' that have resulted in a “persistent” connectivity gap. More specifically, it studies the question “what are the legal, regulatory, ethical, social, and economic policy challenges associated with the deployment and use of high-throughput secure networks (HTSN) for rural and remote communities, including Indigenous communities, in Canada?” “Filling the connectivity gap is particularly important for Indigenous people, as high-quality broadband plays a critical role in supporting Indigenous self-determination and the ability to fully participate in and contribute to the digital world,” the report read. In 2019, the federal government launched the High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy, which committed to bring 50/10 unlimited internet speeds to at least 90 per cent of consumers in 2021 and 100 per cent by 2030. “While the strategy includes goals and promises, including several adopted from the CRTC Universal Service Objective, it does not set out an action plan or roadmap on how to actually achieve universal connectivity,” according to the report. According to the report’s findings, as of 2019 54 per cent of rural Canadian households lacked access to broadband services meeting the 50/10 unlimited target despite that level of service being available to almost all households in urban areas. Sixty-five per cent of households on First Nation reserves were found to be below the targets while no households in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories had access to download speeds of 25 Mbps or greater. Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba had the lowest levels of access to high speed internet among provinces, with 27 to 39 per cent of households lacking access to 50/10 unlimited. “Underservice does not only relate to the transmission speed of a broadband network,” the report stated. “While speed is a key component of a high-quality network, internet connectivity must also be affordable, reliable, stable, possess low latency, and have redundancy.” The report found that Canada’s “one-size-fits-all funding policies” do not meet the needs of rural, and remote areas and often excludes small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and local or Indigenous communities from participating. “While funding to support broadband access is available, it is typically secured through a competitive, zero-sum proposal process — wherein available funds are awarded to a handful of projects, leaving the remaining projects unfunded,” the report argued. The report highlighted some concerns with the current funding process, mainly the sheer number of programs available each with their own unique and complex set of requirements which often results in ISPs having to hire consultants. “As a result, internet service providers (ISPs) or other groups are often forced to assess whether it is worth investing a considerable amount of time and resources on funding applications; in some cases, this acts as a deterrent to applying. The report suggests that the government allow a variety of project types to be funded (e.g., last-mile, backup infrastructure for redundancy) and remove requirements for anchor institutions (hospitals or schools) to provide financial contributions, as they may not exist in some communities. It also suggested the government publish application guidelines further in advance and to invest in capacity-building, training/leadership and organizational infrastructure. “Evidence suggests that, without ongoing investment in building, upgrading, and maintaining infrastructure, the provision of high-speed internet in rural and remote regions is unlikely to be sustainable. Some funding programs in the past have ended or changed suddenly as a result of government turnover or modified funding priorities. Indigenous people have also explicitly called for consistent, stable, and accessible funding,” the report stated. For Indigenous communities, the report also recommended establishing a “dedicated office with specialized expertise facilitating broadband consultations with Indigenous people” like the Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) established in 2010 within the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The ONAP office conducts ongoing government-to-government consultations with Native American, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian organizations, according to the report. It also oversees a specialized Native Nations Communications Task Force, which provides “guidance, expertise, and recommendations to specific requests” made by the FCC such as how to improve engagement between Indigenous communities and service providers. “These approaches may provide guidance to Canada on methods to improve internal capacity related to the broadband needs of Indigenous communities,” the report stated. Regarding spectrum, the report found that Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Telus Corp. collectively held 1,351 spectrum licences that could be subordinated, with only 108 issued to regional and small providers. Furthermore, information on unused spectrum is typically not available to potential buyers. It echoed the recommendations smaller ISPs and consumer advocates made during ISED’s spectrum consultations: to develop smaller Tiers, “separate auctions in urban areas from non-exclusive, shared ‘light licensing’ in rural regions,” accelerate and expand deployment requirements, and adopt a “use it or lose it” approach to spectrum licensing. Although the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) has put some pro-competitive measures in place -- such as during its 600 Mhz auction where it provided bidder training to help small ISPs participate -- additional barriers still exist such as the cost of acquiring the licences themselves, which can be addressed by providing partial reimbursements, the report stated. For the 3,500 Mhz auction ISED issued some set-aside spectrum, however, the report noted that there remains little to promote Indigenous economic sovereignty, as have governments in Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States. The report pointed out that economic reconciliation is a call to action in both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which the government officially recognized this summer. “It is essential that any broadband project on Indigenous lands benefit the members of that community,” the report stated. “Airwaves, like water, are considered natural resources. Yet there is no mention or special consideration of Indigenous people in the Government of Canada’s latest spectrum priorities. There have been calls for the reallocation and setting aside of dedicated spectrum for Indigenous Nations in their lands.” In 2019, the government earmarked 35 per cent, $600 million, of its broadband initiatives budget to Telesat Corp. to secure capacity for a constellation of LEO satellites, a “key rationale” of which has to be provided to underserved remote communities in the North. The funding will be available to Telesat once its LEO constellation enters service. The panelists working on the report “found that incremental, short-term funding for satellite-enabled broadband makes it difficult for service providers to plan for the long term. Secondly, in the Panel’s experience, an overreliance on satellite funding would create vulnerabilities in the North, where there is already a lack of redundancy.” For example, Xplornet Communications Inc. will no longer cover areas in the Yukon or Northwest Territories due to the advanced age of one of its satellites, the report noted. In addition to the redundancy issues, household access to satellite connectivity is also contingent on consumers being able to afford the costs of a satellite dish and ongoing service fees. “Socio-economic disparity within communities may lead to unequal access if satellite services are provided solely through profit-based service models." The report also concluded that the government needs to collect data and develop policies that address all the socio-economic and socio-demographic barriers to connectivity, beyond speed and technology. “Supporting the adoption and usage of internet services is as important as building infrastructure. Key barriers that prevent users from adopting available internet include the high cost of services, limited digital literacy,” the report notes. For example, while connectivity is welcome in remote communities, the increased automation of jobs means workers (especially Indigenous people who are concentrated in industries with a higher risk of job loss due to automation) will require job retraining and skills needed to use the internet to its fullest potential. Adoption to the internet is important for retaining youth and expanding businesses, however, the report found that individuals living in remote areas often lack the training and capacity to fix minor network problems. The report was prepared for the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), after it developed a High-throughput and Secure Networks Challenge program, “aimed at developing innovative technologies to enable the provision of ultra-fast broadband in rural and remote communities.” “These potential innovations include new photonic technologies for satellite connectivity, fixed wireless access, and fibre optic communications with up to 1 Gbps symmetrical upload/download speeds. Recognizing that providing such speeds to rural and remote communities is not only limited by technological challenges, the NRC asked the CCA to assess the non-technical factors specific to the deployment and adoption of these technologies in rural and remote communities,” the report stated. The eight-member expert panel, selected by the CCA, consisted of experts in telecommunications policy, human geography, law, and engineering, as well as experts with direct experience in bringing technology to underserved communities. The panelists were Karen Barnes, Ken Coates, Greg Halseth, Catherine Middleton, Marina Pavlović, Madeleine Redfern, Denise Williams, and Halim Yanikomeroglu. -- Reporting by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphyat mleemurphy@thewirereort.ca.

Rural, Indigenous, connectivity won’t improve by 2030 if Gov. keeps current goals in place : Report

News | October 29, 2021

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Rural, Indigenous, connectivity won’t improve by 2030 if Gov. keeps current goals in place : Report

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