Normally, I blog earlier in the morning, but I waited until the news could be official. We are thrilled to confirm that Canada’s new Minister of Industry, The Honourable Christian Paradis, will be delivering remarks to The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday May 31.

This will be the first opportunity for many of us in the Telecommunications and Broadcasting sector to engage with Minister Paradis.

Information and Communication Technology firms are faced with several crucial, hot-button issues and this is a unique first opportunity to hear from Canada’s new Industry Minister. With so many important policy developments that will impact the industry, such as spectrum allocation & usage, foreign ownership, and Canada’s place in an ever-expanding global digital economy, you need to be at The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit.

The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit is the foremost annual event for those with vested interests in the potential for Information and Communications Technology to continue creating value for all constituents.

The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit: it’s the only conference you need to attend.

Register today! Download the complete conference brochure here.

The CRTC is gathering information on internet programming and its impact on the broadcasting system.

In its Notice of Consultation 2011-344, the CRTC stated by way of a preamble:

The Commission considers that developments in the broadcasting system and related developments in telecommunications, combined with accelerating changes, warrant investigation of the nature of those changes and their impact on the Canadian broadcasting system.

It is noteworthy that the consultation is under the banner of both the Telecom and Broadcasting sides of the Commission. I started to wonder if the CRTC should be investigating the impact on the overall communications system: both telecom and broadcasting.

Comments are sought on the following points:

• the capabilities of measurement and analytical tools to enable a better understanding of [over-the-top (“OTT”)] programming trends over time;
• trends in consumer behavior, including the current and projected consumption of programming in the next five years, including Canadian and non-Canadian programming;
• technological trends in consumer devices and network capabilities that will influence the development of OTT programming;
• the possibility that, in the near term, OTT services may cause replacement or reductions in BDU subscriptions;
• the opportunities and challenges for the Canadian creative industries associated with OTT services;
• the impact that OTT services might have on the acquisition and exhibition of programming available to Canadians;
• the impact of the growth of OTT services on consumers;
• any additional issues or evidence relevant to the contribution of OTT programming services to the achievement of the policy objectives of the Broadcasting Act.

The second last point, examining the impact on consumers, might be broadly interpreted, opening the consultation to include a wide range of issues. I may explore this further next week during my conversation with CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein on June 1 at The Canadian Telecom Summit.

Have you registered yet?

Will you be with some of the most influential leaders of the Canadian & International ICT industry who will gather next week at The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit?

No other event matches The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit for the depth and breadth of topics covered and issues debated. No other event presents a complete picture of current and expected trends & developments. Come see why The Canadian Telecom Summit has become Canada’s must-attend conference.

With more opportunities than ever to learn, network and do business, if you are involved with or impacted by Canadian telecommunications, broadcasting and information technology, you need to be at The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit.

Join your colleagues for 3 days of spirited discussion and networking.

Register today for The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit.

For the complete conference agenda, visit http://www.telecomsummit.com

Last Friday, the CRTC affirmed that businesses are consumers too. In Telecom Decision 2011-341, the CRTC told PIAC that it was indeed appropriate for the the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to be part of the selection process for consumer group appointed directors for the Board of Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc.

The Commission further notes that the CFIB is independent of the telecommunications industry and represents a subset of consumers of telecommunications services, i.e., small business consumers, whose complaints fall within the CCTS’s mandate. The CCTS has included eleven other groups in its nomination process whose primary function is to represent individual consumers.

One of 12 voices has been given to small business interests? The proper question may be to ask why that segment is so under represented?

Maybe that is a question to ask during the Regulatory Blockbuster, an annual feature of The Canadian Telecom Summit, taking place next week in Toronto. Are you registered yet?

Roberta Fox knows business communications. She and her colleagues at Fox Group are the people that I go to whenever a client is looking for assistance with their corporate needs. We have had a number of opportunities to work together over the 20 years we have known each other.

That is why we couldn’t have thought of a more suitable person to moderate our panel discussion on Unified Comunications: The evolving future of business at The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit.

The panel will take place on the afternoon of June 1, featuring

• Avaya Canada President Ross Pellizzari
• Microsoft Canada CIO Steve Heck
• Genband VO Michaela Giuhat
• OneConnect President Gianni Creta

The panel will be looking at hosted, cloud-based solutions versus customer premises based networks. What are the issues when businesses depend on communications service always being available?

The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit is less than two weeks away, taking place May 31 to June 2 in Toronto. Have you registered yet?