Digital government

Iain Marlow interviewed Blair Levin at this week’s IIC conference in Ottawa. Levin led the creation of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan prior to joining The Aspen Institute.

There are 3 audio clips available. 

In the first of these, I heard statements that inspired me to wonder if governments are doing enough as a role model for the adoption of digital technologies. Levin says:

… that the Government makes sure digital literacy is part of its overall culture…. Government is the single largest provider of education. It is the single largest provider of Public Safety. It is the single largest buyer of telco services. It is the single biggest deliverer of other government services such as social security or whatever.

Let me paraphrase: Is the government buying and delivering services in a way that stimulates the supply, adoption and use of digital technologies in the general marketplace?

Example: I can pay my federal small business taxes with no service charge if I personally go to a teller at the bank. On the other hand, I have to pay a $2 fee if I choose to pay on-line. Does this make sense? Shouldn’t the government be taking steps to discourage paper and incent digital transactions?

Another example: Ontario charges a “convenience fee” for renewing a license plate at a kiosk (presumably to avoid the inconvenience of facing a human?); how is this consistent with a digital innovation strategy? Imagine what would happen if the incentives worked the other way – lower cost automated delivery of services, increased use of ICTs, improved levels of comfort in interacting with digital technology. The “convenience fee” comes across as just another tax imposed without any strategic consideration of its impact on the adoption of digital delivery of government services.

What about the government’s purchasing of services?

Ontario’s ORION research network has announced that it is now extending the types of organizations that are using its connectivity to include the Hamilton Public Library. Is there still a need for privately operated “research” networks? If the most sophisticated network requirements continue to be peeled out of the public network domain, is there a reduced incentive for investment that could only be recovered from residential rates?

Government spending on communications requirements should be incorporated into a more strategic type of sourcing – helping to ensure that the general public benefits are considered. Embedding these advanced services requirements can serve to improve the economics of extending the geographic reach and enhanced capabilities delivered to all of us.

Enough ranting for today – I’ll save the issue of public safety ’til tomorrow.