March 2006
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Industry
5th Floor, West Tower
235 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5
Dear Minister,
In April 2005, our Panel was appointed to review Canada's telecommunications policy framework and recommend on how to modernize it to ensure that Canada has a strong, internationally competitive telecommunications industry that delivers world-class services for the economic and social benefit of all Canadians. In particular, the Panel was asked to recommend on:
- how to implement an efficient, fair, functional and forward-looking regulatory framework that serves Canadian consumers and businesses, and that can adapt to a changing technological landscape
- mechanisms to ensure that all Canadians continue to have an appropriate level of access to modern telecommunications services
- measures to promote the development, adoption and expanded use of advanced telecommunications services across the economy.
The Panel drew on many sources of information and advice in conducting our review. We received almost 200 written submissions totalling many thousands of pages in response to our June 2005 Consultation Paper. These submissions provided valuable information, insights and proposals. We also benefited from presentations and discussions that took place at two policy fora in Whitehorse and Gatineau. Throughout the review, we consulted extensively with Canadian stakeholders and experts to seek their views, test ideas and explore options for our recommendations.
We were very encouraged by the high level of interest shown in the review by the telecommunications industry, consumer groups, community associations, research centres, other stakeholders and ordinary Canadians. Their contributions were very valuable, as were the contributions we received from departments and agencies of the federal government, the provinces and territories, and municipalities. We also found considerable international interest in the review, and we have drawn on the experience and advice of researchers, policy makers and regulators in other countries.
Thanks to the support our review received from all of these parties, we believe we have carried out our mandate as fully as possible within the ten months allotted — a relatively short period of time in which to conduct a fundamental review of such a broad set of issues.
Canadians have been leaders in telecommunications. As telecommunications and information and communications technologies generally become increasingly important contributors to productivity growth, economic competitiveness and social well-being, it is vital that we remain leaders. This will only be possible if Canada's telecommunications policy and regulatory framework is continuously reformed — so Canadians can reap the full economic and social benefits provided by the increasingly competitive telecommunications markets — while protecting the interests of consumers and contributing to the achievement of important Canadian social values.
In our report, we recommend means designed to better achieve these goals.
| Gerri Sinclair | Hank Intven | André Tremblay |
