Last week, I wrote a piece that looked at a portion of the data released in December by the Pew Research Center.

A media release from CWTA looks at the Pew data, as well as recent data from the CRTC and Statistics Canada. In its release, “Canadians among global leaders in internet usage and smartphone ownership”, CWTA observes that the latest Canadian government data shows Canadians usage of the internet and smartphones has increased, while the cost of connectivity has declined.

The data from Pew shows that smartphone ownership in Canada continues to grow, and is in line with other surveyed countries.

The study also shows that smartphone ownership in Canada is similar to levels seen in other surveyed countries, with 98% of surveyed Canadians between the ages of 18-29 and 95% of those aged 30-49 owning a smartphone. As with other surveyed countries, the rate of smartphone ownership among Canadians aged 50 or more is lower than in younger age groups, with 72% those in the 50-plus age group reporting smartphone ownership.

This difference in smartphone ownership between age groups is an indication that there are factors other than cost that influence smartphone adoption, such as degree of digital literacy or lack of interest.

CRTC data released this week shows the average Canadian residential internet subscriber downloaded more than 4 times as much data in 2022 than in 2015. The average volume of data downloaded increased from 93.1 GB per month in 2015 to 394.4 GB in the third quarter of 2022. In the same period, subscribed data download speeds have increased by almost an order of magnitude, jumping from 28.5 Mbps in 2015 to 258.8 Mbps in 2021. Upload speeds have increased from 5.4 Mbps to 106.4 Mbps over the same period.

Coupled with these substantial improvements in performance, Statistics Canada data shows that the internet access component of the Consumer Price Index has fallen 1%, as contrasted with a 21% increase in the overall CPI. So, the average consumer is paying roughly the same price today as they were 7 years ago, despite six times the usage and 10-20 times the speeds.

On the mobile side, Statistics Canada data shows that the cellular services component of the CPI has fallen 32% between December 2018 and December 2022, while the overall CPI has increased 15% in that same period. Over that time frame, the CRTC shows that cellular data traffic grew from 2.3 GB per month to 6.07 GB per month, more than two and a half times as much data while prices fell by a third. Using data released this week from Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, CWTA says “Mobile wireless network performance also increased significantly over this time, with the average download speed experienced by Canadian mobile users almost tripling from 46.31 Mbps to 125.34 Mbps from 2018 to 2022.”

CWTA President and CEO Robert Ghiz said,

Canada is among the world leaders in the adoption and use of the internet and smartphones. And while the consumption and performance of connectivity services continues to grow, prices are trending downward, while most everything else that is critical to Canadians is getting more expensive. These positive outcomes, together with the billions being invested each year by network operators to expand and enhance Canada’s digital infrastructure, are strong evidence of the benefits of facilities-based competition and the need for a stable regulatory environment that will allow these positive trends to continue.

The facts are clear.

Data from independent and government sources show that Canadians are getting far more value from their mobile and internet connections, contributing factors to why Canada remains a leader in online connectivity.

What happens if you ask a powerful Artificial Intelligence engine (ChatGPT) to “prepare 1000-2000 words on the most important issues facing Canadian telecom policy”?

Telecommunications policy in Canada is a complex and ever-evolving field, with a variety of important issues facing the industry and government regulators. Some of the most significant issues include:

1. Network expansion and infrastructure development: Canada’s telecommunications infrastructure is facing increasing pressure to keep up with the growing demand for data and internet services. This includes expanding high-speed broadband access to rural and remote areas, as well as upgrading existing networks to support the latest technologies and services.
2. Competition and market structure: The Canadian telecommunications market is dominated by a small number of large companies, which has led to concerns about lack of competition and high prices for consumers. Regulators are working to promote competition and increase choice for consumers through measures such as spectrum auctions and wholesale access rules.
3. Net neutrality: Net neutrality is the principle that all internet traffic should be treated equally, without discrimination or preference given to certain types of traffic or services. Canada has recently implemented net neutrality rules, but the issue is still a contentious one, with some arguing that it stifles innovation and harms competition.
4. Privacy and security: As telecommunications networks become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, there are growing concerns about the security and privacy of personal data. The government has implemented new regulations to protect personal information and ensure that companies are transparent about their data collection and usage practices.
5. Spectrum management: Spectrum is a finite resource that is essential for the operation of telecommunications services. The government manages the allocation of spectrum through auctions and licensing, but there are ongoing debates about how to best allocate and use this valuable resource to support innovation and competition in the telecommunications industry.
6. Interconnection and roaming: Interconnection refers to the ability of different telecommunications networks to connect and exchange traffic, while roaming refers to the ability of mobile devices to connect to other networks when outside of their home network area. These issues are important for ensuring that consumers can access services and connect with others, regardless of their location or the network they are using.
7. 5G: 5G is the next generation of mobile networks that promises faster download and upload speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity for more devices. It’s also expected to enable new technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and self-driving cars. This is an important issue for Canada’s telecommunication policy, as it will affect the country’s competitiveness in the global economy.
8. Affordable access: Affordable access to the internet and telephone services is a major issue in Canada, particularly in rural and remote areas. The government is working to increase affordability through programs such as the Universal Broadband Fund, which aims to expand high-speed internet access to underserved areas.
9. Telecommunications innovation: The telecommunications industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies and services being developed all the time. Regulators are faced with the challenge of fostering innovation while also ensuring that the industry remains stable and competitive.
10. International trade: Canada’s telecommunications industry is closely tied to the global economy, and the country is heavily involved in international trade agreements and negotiations. This includes issues such as cross-border data flows and market access for Canadian companies in other countries.

The above-mentioned issues are just a few of the key challenges facing Canadian telecommunications policy today. It is important for government regulators and industry stakeholders to work together to find solutions that promote innovation, competition, and consumer choice while also protecting privacy, security, and affordability.

In an undergrad telecom course, I’d score it as a B-plus. It succeeded in canvassing issues overall, but it is incomplete in the discussion portion of many items, partly due to my imposition of a limited word count. The system got item 8 wrong, conflating the issue of “Affordable access” with government programs to assist investment in infrastructure expansion (which is better covered in item 1). However, given that some academics have supported development of large urban government overbuilds (such as ConnectTO) with a goal of creating affordable access, it isn’t a complete surprise that the AI database has been polluted with some misinformation.

I have seen worse papers published by academics and parliamentarians.

There is still a need to fact-check the output of these artificial intelligence systems, just as there is a need to verify human outputs.

That’s good news. ChatGPT isn’t able to replace me… yet.

For 20 years, the Pew Research Center has been assessing internet use internationally. In its report released last month, Pew found that Canada continues to be a leader in the proportion of its population online, just as it was in 2002.

Of course, adoption rates have grown dramatically worldwide in the intervening years. In 2002, Canada led all 8 of the studied countries with 68% of the population saying they “ever go online to access the Internet or World Wide Web or to send and receive email”. At that time, the median was just 47% reporting using the internet across eight countries: Canada, South Korea, the U.S., Germany, the UK, France, Japan and Poland. In the most recent survey, a median of 93% among these countries report using the internet.

The most recent study examined 18 advanced economies and Canada ranked fourth with 95% of the population reporting using the internet or owning a smartphone, behind South Korea (99%) and just behind the Netherlands and Sweden with 96%.

I’m especially interested in looking at factors inhibiting adoption among the remaining handful who aren’t already connected.

Pew found that “Internet use varies based on age, education and income. Nearly 100% of young adults report using the internet in every country except Israel (93%).” I’ll note somewhat parenthetically that a contributing factor in Israel’s outlier status is explained by restrictions on internet access set by some religious leaders because of online safety concerns.

How do concerns about online safety, a factor associated with digital literacy, impact internet adoption among the 5% of Canadians who have not yet gone online? As the issue percolates on the policy agendas for a number of western nations, we need to examine how governments can address legitimate concerns without limiting our fundamental freedoms of expression.

And there is the issue of basic digital literacy, helping those who simply lack basic skills to get online. I recently became aware of Appleseeds, a non-profit in Israel that “helps people step into the digital world”. Among its areas of activity is the Digital Lifestyle initiative that “develops programs for members from various communities who are taking their first steps into the world of technology.”

Appleseeds develops programs for Israel’s most marginalized who are taking their first steps into the digital world. We provide these services through a network of Technology Knowledge Centers located throughout the country, in cooperation with municipalities and other partners in the public and private sectors.

For too long, government broadband programs in Canada have focused solely on building access. There are carrier-funded programs in place that deal with ensuring affordable connectivity is available. Unfortunately, too little work is being done to develop skills in going online, or helping develop an understanding of the value of getting connected

It is why the issue of studying (and addressing) the factors inhibiting broadband adoption is at the top of my telecom policy agenda for 2023.

From its inception, I have been a supporter of the Bell Let’s Talk initiative. As I wrote more than a dozen years ago, “I liked seeing such an important player in my business – telecommunications – take an active interest in my family’s main line of work – mental health.”

The Bell Lets Talk strategy is built on 4 key pillars: Anti-Stigma; Care & Access; Research; and, Workplace Leadership.

• Anti-Stigma
  One of the biggest hurdles for anyone struggling with mental illness is overcoming the stigma attached to it. Talking is an important first step towards lasting change. The annual Bell Let’s Talk Day and awareness campaign has become the world’s largest conversation about mental health, encouraging Canadians and people around the world to talk and take action to help reduce stigma and promote awareness and understanding so everyone can get the help they need.

  In 2012 Bell established the world’s first Anti-Stigma Research Chair at Queen’s University to continue to advance anti-stigma research, scholarship, and outreach programs.

• Care & Access
  Bell funds organizations large and small throughout Canada, including grassroots agencies, hospitals and post-secondary institutions, to provide Canadians with mental health supports and services.

  Through the Bell Let’s Talk Funds, partnerships and major gifts, Bell has supported organizations in every province and territory in Canada, enabling them to improve access to mental health supports and services in communities nationwide.

• Research
  Research holds the greatest promise to better understand treatments and solutions. Bell is investing in best-in-class research programs with the potential to have a transformative impact on the mental health and well-being of Canadians.

  Bell Let’s Talk has funded research projects across the country, including $3 million to fund the world’s first university chair in mental health and anti-stigma research at Queen’s University, $1 million to fund Canada’s first biobank of biological, social and psychological data at l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, and $2 million announced in 2021 to establish the Bell Let’s Talk-Brain Canada Mental Health Research Program with Brain Canada.

• Workplace Leadership
  One in three workplace disability claims in Canada are related to mental illnesses. Bell is committed to leading by example in our own workplace by adopting the voluntary National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and is encouraging greater corporate engagement across Canada.

  Bell’s initiatives to improve mental health awareness, training and benefits have reduced short-term disability claims related to mental health by over 30%, and reduced relapse and recurrence by more than 50%.

The theme for Bell Let’s Talk Day 2023 (January 25) is Let’s change this.

This year’s campaign is intended to put a focus on some of the key challenges faced by Canadians. Bell has announced an additional $10 million towards its goal of $155 million for Canadian mental health programs, replacing the 5 cents per interaction made in previous years on Bell Let’s Talk Day.

Thirteen years ago, Bell Let’s Talk set out to tackle the stigma around mental illness. Since then, Bell Let’s Talk Day became the world’s largest conversation about mental health, increasing awareness and helping bring about real change. Since 2011, there have been nearly 1.5 billion messages on various channels.

On January 25, I will still be supporting the use of #BellLetsTalk on social media and promoting the initiative.

I hope you will as well.

A new year. A fresh start. What should be the telecom priorities for the year ahead?

Driving internet availability and adoption need to be at the top of any list. The government has said that Canada’s future depends on connectivity. The CRTC set an objective in 2016 for 90% of Canadian homes to have access to a 50/10 unlimited broadband plan by 2021. The Commission reports that 91.7% had such access and Canada is on target to achieve universal access by 2031.

Still, there is a big difference between having universal access to broadband, and attaining universal adoption of that service.

It is one thing to have access to a service, but something quite different to get people to sign on. Think of it as that old “lead a horse to water” kind of thing. How do we get them to drink?

I have written before that “Connections are easy; Adoption isn’t.” Connectivity is a relatively simple engineering problem. Throw enough money at a construction problem and there can be a solution.

Driving universal adoption is a lot more complex. For most people, it is difficult to imagine why anyone wouldn’t get online if their home has access to broadband. That is why there has usually been an assumption that price must be the factor. As I have written before, “Too many people superficially think that increasing adoption is simply a matter of lower prices, but research has shown there are far more factors involved.” In “The broadband divide’s little secret”, I wrote “after introducing Connected for Success, Internet for Good, Connecting Families and other targeted programs, we have learned that getting people online isn’t just a matter of price.”

Hopefully, 2023 will begin to bring better research into understanding those factors inhibiting broadband adoption among different groups in order to develop appropriate responses. It is fertile ground for academic research.

A lot more work needs to be done to address hate and illegal content on the internet, a topic that came to the fore last summer when the public learned about the government funding a notorious purveyor of hate to develop an anti-racism program for Canadian broadcasters. (You can’t make these things up.) For more than 15 years, I have been writing about this issue. The government is exploring new legislation but I am not yet convinced that this is the appropriate approach. Add this to the 2023 agenda.

Online hate ties to an overall theme of online safety. These factors can impact adoption among people who have been wary to get connected. Can we develop techniques to improve privacy and online safety and security to improve confidence for all?

Those are a few of the items that top my 2023 agenda.

What would you add?