Community broadband connections becoming priority for leaders
Broadband infrastructure and the assoicated applications such as telehealth are becoming a priority for national leaders. Presentations in recent days are indicating that leaders will be working to create new opportunities for communities to build the required broadband connections that will support various applications including telehealth (two way symmetrical video conferencing capabilities).
Grand Chief Phil Fontaine promised the participants in last week's AFN Telehealth Summit in Winnipeg that he will seek the resources required for all First Nations to be able to develop broadband infrastructure so they can access telehealth services.
Industry Minister Emerson made similar commitments during a presentation in Toronto (as reported by Canadian Press) ...
Minister seeks cash for renewed broadband push
TORONTO - Industry Minister David Emerson said Wednesday he will be seeking increased federal funding for initiatives to improve the country's broadband infrastructure, an essential component of high-speed Internet communications.
Canada's competitive advantage in terms of broadband communications has begun to slip and it's time for the federal government to make a renewed push to ensure the country doesn't fall behind, Emerson said.
"Without Internet access today, people and communities simply cannot get into the game. They're not able to get into the economic mainstream," Emerson said in a lunch-time speech to the Empire Club.
He added that the federal government needs to "finish the job" of building Canada's broadband capabilities, referring to initiatives championed by previous Liberal industry ministers.
"We've slowed down a bit in the past year, budgetarily, but we've cleaned up pretty well all of the projects that were started and I'm going to be asking for a budget enhancement to take it over the top," Emerson told reporters later.
He wouldn't say how much he would be asking for from Finance Minister Ralph Goodale for the next federal budget.
"Telecommunications and broadband technology are the most transformative technologies of our generation. It is the infrastructure that connects us with the global information economy. Canadians without high-speed access to the Internet will be increasingly out of the game... in terms of economic opportunities, education and even health care."