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The annual meeting of STAC, Canada’s Structure, Tower and Antenna Council, STAC2021, opened Monday in a virtual format, another event that has transformed digitally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

STAC members represent those essential workers who deploy the physical infrastructure necessary to expand the reach and capacity of Canada’s facilities-based networks.

From the outset of the pandemic, over the past year, these workers have developed protocols to enable their work to continue safely to deliver the digital connectivity upon which all of us have depended as most of us are stuck at home. So, it was fitting that one of the sessions on the opening day of the STAC2021 event was entitled “Coping with COVID”. The session was moderated by Anne-Sophie Tétreault from Cognibox and featured Laura Marciniwe of Teletek Structures, Adam Gale of Vertical Specialties, Jeff Selby from Trylon and Steven Bain from Rogers.

How did businesses establish pandemic protocols? How did the industry look after field technicians in dealing with basic needs: finding safe restrooms and safe places to sleep at night when away from home?

As borders closed and shipping faced delays, how were supply chains maintained?

Misinformation and conspiracy theories stoked fears of 5G towers as a cause of COVID-19. Imagine being an installer of equipment on towers or restoring service after an arsonist burned down a tower.

Protecting technicians who needed to go into private residences and uncontrolled workplaces to restore services? Ensuring sufficient personal protective equipment was available to protect technicians and their families.

How did companies deal with team building, burn-out and mental health issues as the pandemic dragged on?

Over the past year, the telecommunications industry has been recognized for maintaining network quality, enabling so many of us to work from home. The presentations represented people on the front line, some of the heroes who made the past year bearable by keeping our bits flowing and building new sites to extend broadband to previously unserved areas.

STAC2021 promises to be an interesting event. There are more than 400 people participating on-line this week. Most of the sessions focus on safety, for workers and the public, such as:

• Building a Safety Culture;
• Rope Safety: Everything You Should Know About Working with Rope (But Probably Don’t);
• Rope Safety: Rope Access & Controlled Descent;
• Driving Safety and Awareness;
• AM Safety;
• Tower Damping and Vibration Mitigation;
• RF Monitors and RF Safety;
• Tower Inspection Trends: Immediate Deficiency Mitigation;
• Structural Fasteners: Everything You Should Know (But Probably Don’t).

Other panels and keynotes look at business issues, legal matters, industry trends, career development and more.

I’ll be posting highlights from a variety of the sessions all week. And you can follow #STAC2021 on Twitter.

Canada’s premier tower industry event – the annual STAC Conference & Exhibition will be held virtually April 12-16, 2021.

Structure, Tower and Antenna Council (STAC) is a Council of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), reporting to the CWTA Board of Directors. The Council is member-driven, and is directed by an eleven-member steering committee representing the communications network infrastructure market.

STAC 2021 is dedicated to safety and other best practices in the communication tower industry and will bring together industry professionals from across Canada. Expected attendees include representatives from wireless carriers, broadcasters, oil and gas companies, utility providers, tower engineers, contractors, manufacturers, safety trainers and safety equipment suppliers from across the communications and tower industries.

Improving access to education and training resources can help all workers in the communications antenna construction industry remain as safe as possible. This collaborative approach helps ensure all have access to the best possible training and educational material.

The annual STAC conference is the premier event dedicated to Canadian tower safety and is devoted to sharing the important information and best practices that will help maintain Canada’s world-leading tower safety record. STAC brings together experienced professionals from across the industry to help identify optimal guidelines and best practices for all aspects of communications antenna construction. Attendees will learn about new industry practices and technologies and will receive exclusive information about the development of STAC best practices and other industry resources that are normally only available to STAC Members.

The STAC Conference & Exhibition will bring you valuable safety content, opportunities to network, and an engaging virtual exhibit floor. Registration includes a delegate bag shipped directly to you!

I look forward to seeing you there.

Shana tova. Have a good year.

This year, Rosh Hashana, the two-day holiday marking the Jewish New Year, begins Wednesday evening, October 2. Rosh Hashana, literally “head of the year”, is the start of the year 5785.

Over the past few years, I have talked about how Rosh Hashana is very different from the celebrations marking the arrival of January 1. It is a time of reflection and introspection. We review the previous year, and look ahead to the next. But the past year has been unlike any other in my lifetime. For Jews around the world, 5784 was a troubling year. For the first time in nearly 80 years, it has been a challenging time for Jews in Europe and North America to wear signs that visibly identify ourselves.

As I noted last year, the first month in the Jewish calendar, Tishrei, is filled with holidays – what should properly be termed Holy Days. Combined with Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, there are 7 holy days this month. Rosh Hashana is on the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei; Yom Kippur is on the 10th of Tishrei (October 12); Sukkot runs from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishrei. Last year, the last day of Sukkot fell on October 7, a day that changed the world for Jews around the world. This year, 6 of the 7 days fall on Thursdays and Fridays, meaning that observant Jews need to take a lot of time away from the office. My office will close Wednesday (October 2) at 2pm, and remain closed for the rest of the week.

In last year’s post, I wondered if the world was more tolerant than I experienced in my early working years. I asked that in advance of October 7 and the disturbing waves of antisemitism that we have experienced over the past year. Would businesses and schools make reasonable accommodations for observance of the holidays? Please try to help your employees, your colleagues, your students, by making those conversations more comfortable.

Seven months ago, I wrote “Defending my identity”, trying to capture some of my feelings on the 5 month anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas. October 7, 2023 marked the start of a global campaign attacking Jewish indigeneity in Israel, a global campaign that began even before Israel’s military entered Gaza to respond to the attacks. I encourage you to re-read that piece to get an appreciation of what Jews like me are feeling as we approach the first anniversary of October 7.

Followers of this website know that I frequently travel to Israel. Israel is an intrinsic part of my Jewish identity. When Jews pray, we face toward Jerusalem. Our prayers and our bible contain countless references to Israel. Major Jewish festivals are tied to agrarian timetables and practices in Israel. I am not an Israeli citizen, but I have family who are.

The events of October 7, 2023 have been deeply troubling to me. The response – or more correctly, the lack of moral leadership – by Canadian officials has been disturbing. The sacking of British Columbia’s NDP cabinet member Selina Robinson demonstrates a pervasive rot – or latent antisemitism – among many political leaders.

I am tired of politicians thinking that the way to respond to antisemitic acts is to write on Twitter that “This is not who we are” or claim that “Hatred and violence against Jewish communities have no place in Canada.”. Condemnations on social media are no match for intimidation by throngs calling “Death to the Jews”. Tweets are ineffective against firebombings and shots fired at synagogues and Jewish community centres.

In defending freedom of expression, I have frequently quoted Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant speech from The American President. “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.”

Still, there are limits to those speech rights. As CIJA said in a statement, “We cannot allow mob-driven demonstrations to obstruct our right to participate fully in society.”

Which brings me to how you fit in to help in defending my identity. In resigning from British Columbia’s provincial NDP caucus, Selina Robinson wrote, “I don’t need your hugs and your emojis. What my community needs however, is for you to stand up to antisemitism.”

Call out hate when you see it online. Tell your elected officials that antisemitism isn’t just a problem for Canada’s Jews. Demand action.

And every once in a while, I’d be OK with a hug.

Last year, I observed that the journey we travel over the course of a year often takes some detours, presenting challenges along the way. “It is rarely a smooth, incident-free trip. Sometimes, it feels more like we are riding a roller coaster. Still, we press ahead, continuing to approach each day with a positive outlook, moving forward one step at a time.”

Who knew what this past year was going to be like?

May we see the unconditional release of the hostages being held in Gaza. May the year ahead be marked by good health, by personal and professional growth, and may it be a year of peace for all. Shana tova.

I have frequently written about government keeping out of the way. The phrase “out of the way” appears in about 25 of my posts.

Twice, I used the same title, “Getting out of the way” [2012, 2016]. Earlier this year, in “Let the marketplace work”, I describe government policies and regulations inhibiting capital investment by the telecom sector.

So, it was with interest that I read a recent article on “The Hub”, “Want to be a more productive country, Canada? Get the government roadblocks out of the way” by Jerome Gessaroli. He says “policies relying on government intervention to replace the free market seldom produce improved growth and productivity.” His article includes 4 policy recommendations relating to government maintaining a smaller economic footprint.

Mario Draghi’s newly released report for the European Union, “The future of European competitiveness” [Part A (A competitiveness strategy for Europe) pdf, 3.4MB | Part B (In-depth analysis and recommendations) pdf, 11.5MB], cites “inconsistent and restrictive regulations” among the hindrances for innovative company growth. The report calls for reducing the regulatory burden imposed on European companies. “More than half of SMEs in Europe flag regulatory obstacles and the administrative burden as their greatest challenge.” According to the report, “Regulation is seen by more than 60% of EU companies as an obstacle to investment”.

In other words, I’m not alone in wanting government to stay out of the way.

A few years ago, I quoted Ronald Reagan’s 1986 remarks to the National White House Conference on Small Business. “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

That approach gives the appearance of government doing something, but rarely achieves a positive long-term outcome. It seems to be where Canada is heading with its legislation on the digital economy. The Online News Act and Online Streaming Act already drove unintended consequences, as predicted. In addition, Canada is risking a trade dispute with the US over its approach to taxing digital services.

It is so very tempting to intervene in the marketplace. It takes much stronger leadership to trust in the power of competitive markets. Look at the telecom market. Canada ensured there are 4 well-capitalized facilities-based wireless service providers operating in most of the country, including all population centres. These service providers have sufficient spectrum and technology to compete in both mobile and fixed markets.

Continued regulatory intervention in the marketplace threatens to return Canadian telecom to the haphazard Calvinball era of a decade ago. Such an environment discourages investment, precisely the opposite of what is needed to drive productivity.

Government needs to try a new approach. Stand aside.

How should public and private sector stakeholders respond to threats to the resilience and security of digital infrastructure?

That is the subject of a white paper released last month by Dr. Georg Serentschy, the former head of the Austrian telecom regulator and past chair of BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communication). Recall that building resilience in telecommunications was the subject of a workshop a few weeks ago; Dr. Serentschy discussed the paper. In my recent post, I included links to a number of other articles on network resilience.

Among the highlights are a call for public-private partnership between governments and the private sector. “The highly complex and ever-changing threat landscape can only be tackled in cooperation between the private sector and governments and, beyond that, with international cooperation”. Governments are not able to address these challenges alone. Keep in mind, digital networks and infrastructure are generally private sector assets. However, since these assets are seen as strategic, what is the appropriate level of government involvement to ensure critical infrastructure is secured?

Sixteen months ago, Canada’s telecom regulator launched a consultation calling for comments on “Development of a regulatory framework to improve network reliability and resiliency”. The consultation was focused on notification and reporting requirements in respect of major telecommunications service outages. The file closed 15 months ago, but no determination has been released. In the meantime, the CRTC established interim reporting requirements.

In the February 2023 Notice, the Commission promised a broader consultation:

As its next step, the Commission will initiate a public proceeding to address network reliability and resiliency in broader terms, including issues relating to resiliency principles, emergency services (9-1-1), public alerting, consumer communication, the impact of outages on the accessibility of telecommunications services, consumer compensation, technical measures, and the imposition of administrative monetary penalties.

Such a consultation has not yet been launched. The CRTC’s departmental workplan is indicating a much less ambitious next step. “The CRTC will continue its work to enhance the resilience and reliability of telecommunications networks across the country. This includes continuing to examine requirements for reporting major service outages and future consultations on consumer communication and compensation requirements.”

Yesterday, Sammy Hudes of Canadian Press wrote a related story, “Canadian telecoms work on strengthening networks amid growing wildfire activity”. The article noted “It’s an issue that Canada’s telecommunications regulator is keenly aware of. Two consultations touching on that topic — one considering ways to improve telecom services in the Far North and another on how providers should report and notify customers of major service outages — remain in progress.”

It isn’t clear that the CRTC’s current focus on consumer communications and compensation is the best approach to develop a greater degree of resilience and security in Canada’s digital infrastructure. The work plan does not seem to include addressing “network reliability and resiliency in broader terms”, as promised in last year’s consultation.

To be fair, 6 paragraphs, representing almost 15% of that Notice of Consultation pointed to other government organizations that have roles to play. The agencies and committees are at federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels. It also mentioned CSTAC, the Canadian Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, as a voluntary working group that provides a forum for federal government and industry stakeholders to analyze, develop, and implement measures to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure.

The Serentschy white paper warns “regulatory authorities in most cases do not have a mandate to develop or apply a holistic view and break out of their vertical silos.” The paper suggests that policy makers may need to “give regulators a new and expanded mandate.” Dr. Serentschy suggests that increased network element redundancy, and reducing single points of failure can be at odds with other regulatory measures.

There are 10 recommendations in the white paper. Recommendation 10 calls for institutional reform, calling for the establishment of a central coordinating body as “an important step towards overcoming the usual historically fragmented governance structures.” According to Dr. Serentschy, “governments cannot tackle these challenges alone, nor can industry.” Therefore, he calls for a central coordinating, advisory and decision making body, empowered to reassess regulatory priorities, including competition policy, where necessary.

The subject of increased network resilience in a time of climate emergencies was raised on May 21 in the House of Commons:

How do we ensure digital infrastructure security and resilience are priorities for regulatory and policy determinations?

Is a more holistic approach to governance needed to improve cooperation and planning between government and the private sector? In a competitive telecom environment, how do we fund the needed network reinforcement in areas of challenging geographic and demographic characteristics?