Is it time for Canada to undertake a communications sector regulatory review?

Eight years ago, the government appointed an external Panel to review Canada’s communication legislative framework. “The review examined issues such as telecommunications and content creation in the digital age, net neutrality and cultural diversity, and how to strengthen the future of Canadian media and Canadian content creation.”

The review panel’s final report, Canada’s communications future: Time to act, included many recommendations that led to legislative and policy changes. However, I’m not sure I see the report providing sufficient guidance for today’s environment.

To a certain extent, the report provided cover for initiatives the Trudeau government sought to undertake: the Online Streaming Act, the Online News Act and the controversial (and still un-passed) Online Harms Act.

All are problematic and all were predictably so. The Online News Act led Meta to pull all news links on its platforms because of the high cost of compliance. A court challenge could force a complete revisit of the Online Streaming Act. The US Trade Representative has already indicated concerns about these two acts. We’ll have to wait to see what will be contained in the next iteration of the Online Harms Act expected to be introduced this year.

The US government, in support of its technology giants, is stepping up pressure to dismantle the heavy handed funds being administered under the Online Streaming and Online News acts. In a Globe and Mail OpEd, former CRTC vice-chair Peter Menzies said that Canada should be prepared to sacrifice the Online Streaming Act in trade negotiations in order to save Supply Management:

Fortunately for the streamers – and very much as predicted by critics – the CRTC has become so mired in procedural muck that it has failed to fully implement the act, meaning there will be less to untangle if required. When the Online Streaming Act was passed in the spring of 2023, both then-heritage minister Pablo Rodriguez and CRTC Chair Vicky Eatrides expressed confidence the process would be complete by the end of 2024. Eight of the 11 decisions the latter has made so far concerning streamers have taken at least eight months; three took more than a year, and another decision based on a process that began in 2024 has been promised for early 2026.

[As an aside, I’d be interested in what Polymarket has to say about the likelihood of any of the online bills surviving 2026.]

There are other signs that the current ways of doing things at the CRTC just aren’t working. I’m not talking about the need for little changes here and there, tailoring along the edges. Canada’s regulator is still cloaked in regulations that were designed for a monopoly era, when broadcasting needed scarce spectrum licenses, when telephone companies and cable companies were separate, and the internet was still a twinkle in Al Gore’s eyes.

It isn’t the CRTC’s fault. The regulator can only play the cards they are dealt.

It isn’t just the internet that changed things, but streaming has further exposed the frailties of the current system. Only half of Canadian households now subscribe to TV services from their cable or phone company. Just a third of households still have a wireline phone. But there remain countless regulations and subsidy systems designed for the era when nearly every household had each of those services. (A couple weeks ago, the National Post had an entertaining tribute to the wireline phone, “Last call for the landline”).

In my December 1, 2025 newsletter, I referenced lengthy delays in the CRTC’s handling applications and releasing timely decisions. I wrote:

In July 2024, CPAC asked the CRTC for a $0.03 monthly rate increase. Its current $0.13 rate was set in 2018. On November 21, the CRTC decided to defer until some unspecified time in the future. A year and a half to make a non-decision. CPAC says the deferral jeopardizes its continuing operation. To their credit, Commissioners Scott and Abramson wrote a dissenting view appended to the Commission’s Decision, saying “given the pressures these exceptionally important services face today, we should decide today. Should something different be needed down the road, we can adjust down the road.”

Last month, Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages had to throw a temporary lifeline for CPAC while the CRTC kicks the can down the road.

You’ll also recall my post last October talking about Cogeco asking the Federal Court to order the CRTC to release a decision. There are lots of other stale files at the Commission. For example, a reader pointed me to a tariff application seeking to destandardize some TDM-based interconnection services, because no new customers had requested them for years. The application was filed on August 1, 2024 and the CRTC standard was to issue a determination within 45 business days. On October 15, the CRTC wrote to say “Commission staff is continuing its analysis of these applications. Consequently, they will not be disposed of by the 45th business day following receipt. However, the Commission intends to issue a decision by the end of 2024.” That self-imposed deadline expired 13 months ago.

As Peter Menzies wrote, “Despite a 50-per-cent staff increase since early this century, the overwhelmed CRTC has put broadcasters in a state of stasis through license auto-renewals, while other matters, such as disputes once efficiently resolved in months, are dragging on for several years, often at great commercial cost.”

In this environment, cross-subsidies, such as cable subscribers footing the bills to operate the National Public Alert System, and CPAC, are simply unsustainable.

As I have been writing for years, the government has been using the communications industries – telecom and broadcasting – as an off-the-books taxation system funding social programs that could – and should – be funded under the general budget. The current system was designed in a monopoly era, when we all got our phones from one company and our cable TV from another, and we had no other choices.

The US government, in support of its technology giants, is adding outside pressure to dismantle the heavy-handed funding framework established under the Online Streaming and Online News Acts.

With this in mind, perhaps it is time for the government to examine another communications policy and regulatory review.

Perhaps we should consider a new approach, starting with a fresh bolt of cloth, to custom-tailor a regulatory regime that properly fits the new era.

Which of my blog posts were the Top 5 in 2025, the posts attracting the most attention?

Looking at the analytics, these 5 articles had the most individual page views:

1. “Foreign ownership restrictions in turbulent times” [March 13, 2025]
2. “Fifteen million of other people’s money” [January 30, 2025]
3. “Is it time to disband the CRTC?” [October 6, 2025]
4. “Time to modernize outdated telecom rules” [January 29, 2025]
5. “The inefficiencies of regulatory arbitrage” [March 12, 2025]

Honourable mentions go to:

• “Technology adoption and affordability in Canada” [November 27, 2024]
• “The CRTC’s 2025 Telecommunications Market Report” [March 18, 2025]
• “Is CRTC’s broadband fund fundamentally flawed?” [November 3, 2020]

Unlike last year, where most of the top posts read in 2024 came from the archives, all of the top 5 posts were written this year. Still, the archives continue to provide interest to so many readers, with nearly 3400 posts written over the past 28 years.

Which of my blog posts resonated the most with you?

Thank you for following me here on this blog and on Twitter [X], and thank you for engaging online and by phone over the past year.

Click here to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter, with its digest of the previous week’s blog posts.

I hope the coming holiday period provides an opportunity to connect (in person) with your family and friends. I will be back in the New Year. In the meantime, let me repeat my very best wishes for health, happiness and peace in the year ahead.

I’m dreaming new dreams – better dreams for the year ahead, as I continue to use lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s Circle Game for the title of my year-end wrap-up.

So the years spin by and now the boy is 20
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
There’ll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through

Nearly two years ago, I started 2024 with a post about dreams, using lyrics from a Monkees tune as the title, “Disappointment haunts my dreams”. That post discussed continual streams of misinformation from political leaders in Ottawa, ignoring the facts showing declining telecom prices. Just a month ago, I wrote about government leaders gaslighting the same. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose?

My 2025 blog posts painted a picture of the Canadian telecom sector at a crossroads: prices are falling, but infrastructure investment requirements are rising, while regulatory narratives risk slowing progress. I have consistently emphasized the tension between regulation and private sector investment, calling for policy frameworks that enable innovation and promote sustained capital spending, positioning telecom as the backbone of Canada’s digital economy.

It has always been my objective for this blog to be a source of quality information on Canadian telecom policy, with occasional gastronomical diversions. The past couple of years have seen my posts (here and on X) sometimes deal with the rising levels of antisemitism and online hate in this country.

I added just under 60 blog posts to “Telecom Trends” in 2025, continuing to write a post or two each week. The archive now has nearly 3400 posts spanning 28 years, fully searchable. I also send out a weekly newsletter; you can subscribe here. Thank you for reading my musings on these pages.

I approach each new year with optimism. As Joni Mitchell might say, there’ll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty, before the last revolving year is through. I have been playing in the telecom game for 45 years now, but I’m not ready yet for this to be my “last revolving year.”

I look forward to engaging with you in the New Year, as we dream those new dreams, maybe better dreams, and hopefully bring some to fruition.

I wish you and your families a happy, healthy, safe and peaceful holiday season.

As I wrote last week, Deloitte’s 2026 Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report emphasizes how industries are narrowing the gap between the promise of AI and its real-world implementation.

Deloitte predicts movement in 2026 towards getting AI to scale, aided by the symbiosis AI shares with the technology and telecom sectors:

TMT [Tech, Media & Telecom] is poised to not merely become larger than any other industry, but larger than all other industries combined — both in terms of value and contribution to economic growth. One reason for that is that other industries use TMT — tech and telecom specifically — to power their own AI innovations, and TMT happens to be the hardware, software, and services provider in the AI gold rush.

The 13 topics discussed in Deloitte’s 2026 TMT Predictions report collectively highlight AI’s infrastructure demands, sovereignty concerns, media innovation, and consumer shifts.

1. AI Disrupts Search
   • Deloitte predicts daily AI usage within search will be three times greater than standalone AI tools.
   • Embedding generative AI into search engines will reshape how consumers access information, making AI invisible yet omnipresent.
   • Implication: Control of search platforms becomes a critical gateway for AI adoption.
2. More Compute for AI, Not Less
   • Running AI models (inference) will account for two-thirds of AI compute by 2026.
   • Most inference will remain in data centers, not on consumer devices.
3. Agents Assemble: Agentic AI
   • The agentic AI market could reach $45 billion by 2030.
   • Enterprises must orchestrate autonomous agents effectively to unlock productivity gains.
   • Challenge: Governance, trust, and interoperability remain barriers.
4. Hardware Heats Up
   • AI’s compute demands are driving semiconductor innovation.
   • Specialized chips, chiplets, and cooling technologies are critical to sustaining growth.
   • Implication: Hardware bottlenecks could slow AI adoption if supply chains falter.
5. Tech Sovereignty
   • Countries and blocs are racing to build sovereign AI and tech infrastructures.
   • Motivations include geopolitical tensions, supply chain resilience, and data privacy.
   • Implication: Businesses must adapt to fragmented global compliance landscapes.
6. Mythbusting Robots
   • Deloitte challenges assumptions about robotics adoption.
   • While robots are advancing, human labour remains central in many industries.
   • Implication: Automation will augment rather than replace most workforces.
7. Satellites and Connectivity
   • Satellite technology continues to expand global connectivity.
   • Deloitte highlights new business models and partnerships driving growth.
   • Implication: Telecoms and governments must integrate satellite networks into broader infrastructure.
8. Podcasting Update
   • Podcasts remain resilient, but growth is shifting toward shorter, more interactive formats.
   • Monetization strategies are diversifying beyond advertising.
   • Implication: Creators must adapt to evolving listener behaviours.
9. Microseries (Microdramas)
   • Short-form serials designed for smartphones are booming.
   • In-app revenue is projected to double from $3.8B in 2025 to $7.8B in 2026.
   • Implication: Media companies must embrace mobile-first storytelling.
10. Creative Offerings for Mobile
    • Some consumers value rewards and perks more than network upgrades.
    • Telecoms must rethink their value proposition, focusing on bundled experiences and loyalty programs.
    • Implication: Differentiation shifts from speed to creativity.
11. Software Evolution with AI
    • Generative AI is increasingly embedded into productivity suites, messaging apps, and enterprise software.
    • Standalone AI apps may fade as integration dominates.
    • Implication: Software vendors gain leverage as AI gatekeepers.
12. Semiconductors and Chiplets
    • Modular chiplet architectures are reshaping semiconductor design.
    • Benefits include improved yields, efficiency, and scalability.
    • Implication: Chiplets become foundational for AI workloads.
13. Media Boundaries Blur
    • The lines between TV, streaming, and user-generated content are dissolving.
    • Generative AI accelerates content creation, but authenticity and ethics remain pressing concerns.
    • Implication: Media companies must balance innovation with credibility.

Strategic Implications

• For Businesses
  • Embed AI in platforms rather than standalone tools.
  • Invest in sustainable compute infrastructure to meet AI demands.
  • Orchestrate agentic AI with governance frameworks.
  • Adapt to sovereignty pressures by aligning with local regulations.
  • Reinvent media models for mobile-first, short-form formats.
• For Consumers
  • AI Everywhere: Expect AI to be woven into daily apps.
  • Content Explosion: Microseries and podcasts evolve toward shorter, interactive formats.
  • Trust Matters: Authenticity and transparency in AI-generated content are critical.

Deloitte’s TMT Predictions 2026 highlight a maturing AI ecosystem where integration, infrastructure, and sovereignty dominate. The 13 topics collectively show that the hype around AI is giving way to practical realities — compute bottlenecks, governance challenges, and consumer shifts. Media and telecom industries are adapting to short-form, mobile-first, and reward-driven experiences, while semiconductors and sovereignty strategies underpin the next wave of innovation.

In yesterday’s Financial Post, Daniel Schwanen of the CD Howe Institute warned about excessive precaution in the development of Canada’s AI strategy. “Governments can open doors, foster strategic initiatives and partnerships, and even in some cases directly support initiatives that can build capacity and unlock their countries’ comparative advantages. But in all cases, this is also accompanied by removal of unnecessarily burdensome regulations to allow the private sector to thrive.” He warns Canadian regulators to avoid being bound by “the ‘dead weight of dogma’ — prioritizing the prevention of everything that could go wrong rather than facilitating what might be successful.”

Earlier this week, an article in the Globe and Mail discussed complaints that the glacial pace of government action is “woefully behind the speed of AI, where new developments happen weekly.”

What is the best way for the government to stimulate AI development, and adoption, by Canadians? Will Canada’s AI strategy focus on incentives to innovate, and resist the urge for overly prescriptive regulations?

There is symbiosis between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the telecom sector: telecom networks provide infrastructure enabling connectivity to AI applications, while AI enhances the efficiency, profitability, and innovation capacity of telecom operators.

A friend and colleague from my days at Bell Labs recently visited us in Toronto. For over 40 years, he has been developing faster photonics for telecom transmission systems. He told me “business is hopping”, driven by AI.

In addition to AI applications driving increased sales, he uses AI to accelerate his own research. Nokia is developing Artificial Intelligence for Operations (AIOps) to automate network management, suggesting that it could reduce downtime by up to 96%. Nokia is researching “agentic AI” for autonomous network optimization, enabling self-healing and self-adjusting telecom systems. Just last week, Nokia broke ground on a new campus in Ottawa, “driving breakthroughs in AI-powered networks, data center networks, quantum-safe infrastructure, and next-generation 6G technologies”.

Reflecting on our shared experiences at the Labs, Danny and I reminisced about memories we have. We have each been in the telecom industry for 45 years. His staff have a real appreciation for his ability to craft prompts for AI systems, and recognize problematic outputs. He called it a benefit of having grey hair. Me? I’m grateful for the little bit of hair I still have, and it is generous to refer to its colour as grey.

In my newsletter a few weeks ago, I referred to a Globe and Mail OpEd written by Bell CEO Mirko Bibic. The following week, I referenced a TELUS press release, where the company announced that its Sovereign AI Factory in Rimouski, Quebec, was named Canada’s fastest and most powerful supercomputer. Carriers are clearly betting heavily on the link between AI and telecom.

And why not?

The telecommunications industry has always been at the forefront of technological innovation. From the invention of the telephone to the rise of mobile networks and the internet, telecom has consistently acted as the backbone of global connectivity. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping this sector in profound ways. What makes this transformation unique is the symbiotic relationship between telecom and AI. This mutual reinforcement is ushering in a new era of intelligent connectivity.

AI is no longer a futuristic concept in telecom — for many service providers, it is already embedded in daily operations. According to a recent GSMA Intelligence report, AI plays a dual role: AI for Networks and Networks for AI. AI algorithms are predicting traffic patterns, balancing loads, and reducing congestion to improve connectivity during peak demand. Machine learning models are detecting anomalies in equipment, enabling predictive maintenance, thereby reducing costly outages and downtime. AI models are analyzing call records and data usage to detect fraudulent activities in real time. AI enhances cybersecurity, identifying unusual traffic patterns and mitigating threats.

We are now getting used to AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants providing support, while ‘sentiment analysis’ helps operators tailor services to customer needs. These AI applications are reducing operational costs, improving reliability, and opening new revenue streams.

Looking at the other side of the relationship, telecom service providers are building the infrastructure upon which AI platforms are enabled. The rollout of 5G and gigabit wireline networks provides the high-speed, low-latency infrastructure required for advanced AI applications, such as autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and immersive entertainment.

Telecom operators are deploying edge data centers, bringing AI processing closer to users, reducing latency, and enabling real-time decision-making. Telecom companies such as Bell and TELUS are building sovereign AI data centres, platforms for AI innovation, offering APIs and infrastructure for startups and enterprises to build AI-powered solutions.

This illustrates the reciprocal nature of the relationship: AI strengthens telecom, while telecom is empowering AI. Symbiosis. The impact of AI’s telecom symbiosis will transcend the technology sector as telecom service providers partner with healthcare, automotive, and finance sectors to deliver AI-powered solutions. Deloitte’s new TMT Predictions report says “TMT [Tech, Media & Telecom] is poised to not merely become larger than any other industry, but larger than all other industries combined — both in terms of value and contribution to economic growth. One reason for that is that other industries use TMT — tech and telecom specifically — to power their own AI innovations, and TMT happens to be the hardware, software, and services provider in the AI gold rush.”

Canada has a Minister of AI and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon. He has engaged an AI Strategy Task Force to help develop Canada’s AI strategy. In my view, the government needs to resist the temptation to distort private capital markets by throwing cash around in an attempt to pick winners. Instead, the government can use its procurement processes to influence the development of sovereign AI capacity. By mandating “end-to-end Canadian operational control” for the government’s own critical AI workloads, we can create a more stable domestic market for Canadian innovators.

The relationship between telecom and AI is not one of simple adoption — it is a true symbiosis. Telecom networks provide a foundational platform for AI innovation, while AI makes telecom smarter, more efficient, and more customer-centric. Together, AI and telecom symbiosis will enable carriers to continue evolving from providers of connectivity to becoming a platform for intelligence in the digital economy.