Authors

Question 1

Smythe

Answer 1

“Regarded as a whole, telecommunications activities both nationally and internationally take place in an articulated structure of organization and policy.”

Foundations of telecommunications structure lie in telegraphy.

Telephony requires more elaborate policy.

Radio affects telecommunications policy profoundly through its ability to broadcast a variety of things to large audiences.

Radio requires international planning.

Question 2

Mansell

Answer 2

There are lots of different ways that people think about future information societies.

There is as well, a dominant vision of the information society, it adheres to current ideas about today’s society. As we progress into the future and develop technologies we will continue to reproduce inequalities.

We need to challenge the dominant ideologies that influence our idea of what an information society will be like in the future to be able to benefit people.

Question 3

Noam

Answer 3

Telecoms 1.0: traditional monopoly, state owned or tightly regulated.

Telecoms 2.0: Competition leads to innovation leads to deregulations. Government intervention is an issue to be overcome.

2.0 policy approach will not work for 3.0 Telecommunications. Because of instability of the sector, growing investment requirements, changing economies of scale, and emerging presence of media in the telecoms industry.

Question 4

Mueller

Answer 4

Challenges this idea that universal telephone service is a result of regulate monopoly.

Instead proposes that universal telephone service is a result of competition between Bell and the independents 1894-1921.

It was Bell and the independents refusing to connect with each other that resulted in a race to achieve universality. This resulted in rural areas getting telephone service.

Universal service, for Mueller, is not about a telephone in every home, but rather the interconnection of Bell and the independents.

Question 5

Gow, G. and Smith, R. Chpt 2

Answer 5

Electromagnetic energy makes radio and cellphones possible.

Radio spectrum: technology that uses electromagnetic energy as a medium of communication.

Amateur use of the radio increases demand and creates political pressure to better manage resources.

Negroponte Switch: wired and wireless information will trade places as we move into the future.

Question 6

Gow, G. and Smith, R. Chpt 9

Answer 6

PAN: Personal Area Network. Micro networking environment of wireless devices in the immediate space of user.

Ambient Intelligence: People surrounded by intuitive interfaces that are embedded in objects/environment seamlessly and unobtrusively.

Question 7

Babe

Answer 7

Challenging the myth of telecommunications bringing Canada together.

Canadian communications is tied to American communications technologically and in regards to content.

Challenges technologically deterministic view, saying that we are in charge of the technology we create.

Technological imperative: calls for the connection of all of Canada. Note: we are just now connecting the North to the rest of the country.

Question 8

Winseck

Answer 8

3 major periods in early telecommunications history

1. 1880 federal charter allows Bell to develop a national telephone network.
2. 1893-1920 competitive telephone situation
3. Emergence of semi-corporatist political economic arrangements.

Question 9

Crandall and Hazlett

Answer 9

United States take a more deregulatory approach to their telecommunications industry. Compares it to Canadian approach, particularly the telecommunications act of 96.

Question 10

Ekos Research

Answer 10

Study finds that North is lacking in telecommunications resources. As Canada developers technological rural areas and the North in particular is falling behind both in quality of service as well in cost.

Residents appear to hold both industry and the government responsible for solving this problem.

Question 11

Clement and Obar

Answer 11

Boomerang Routing: Internet traffic beginning and ending in the same country transits through another.

Canada to U.S. boomerang traffic exposes Canadian content to NSA surveillance.

Full packet is subject to surveillance through a split fibre that takes it to a “secret room”.

Question 12

McNally et al.

Answer 12

Paper recommends government develop national broadband strategy informed in part by small internet service providers to aid in servicing remote areas.

Policy makers should reach out to small ISPs rather then wait for submission.

Question 13

Middleton

Answer 13

Paper is about policy environment in Canadian telecoms in 2017

Telecoms in Canada relies on market forces to create competitive environment in which providers will offer affordable, high quality services, regulation is warranted when market does not deliver these outcomes.

Ongoing investment is needed from multiple levels of the government to see this achieved in rural areas. A scheme is being established to hold companies accountable to investing in rural areas.

For now, facilities based competition dominates.

Canada has net neutrality.

Question 14

Telecommunications Policy Review Panel Chpt 1.

Answer 14

Chapter is about challenges the panel believes must be addressed in modern telecoms policy in Canada.

Current concerns: Canadian telecoms hasn’t lived up to its past, where Canada was once leading the world it is now falling behind.

Canada’s mobile wireless industry lags behind its major trading partners in reach and pricing, Canada should develop a more efficient and vibrant wireless industry.

Canadian government is not focusing enough on ICT policy

Important to ensure consistency, strengthen connections between different policy areas in new economic and social spaces being created in electronic communication sector

Question 15

Telecommunications Policy Review Panel Chpt 1.: Industry Transformation

Answer 15

Shift to IP

Open network architecture

Convergence of industries: lots of things available to consumer on one piece of technology, results in changes to consumer expectations

Question 16

Taylor

Answer 16

Spectrum auction is based in economic theory and in step with liberalization of markets worldwide.

Question 17

Taylor, Middleton, Fernando

Answer 17

Spectrum is an invisible industrial battleground

If we are indeed on a spectrum crunch then we need to move data away from the traditional call and response of the telephone

Strong spectrum usage in city centre, but only half of allocated frequencies.

Question 18

Beaudry

Answer 18

Examining Canadian Telecommunications regulatory framework and analyzing regulatory privileges given to new entrants at the expense of former telecoms monopolies. Regulation meant to induce competition ends up hurting consumers and distorting market process.

CRTC’s mandatory wholesale access is a failure: CLECs become rent seekers, low incentives for them to build their own facilities. This weakens rivalry and consumer choice suffers.

Prolonged existence of 2 tiered telecom regulatory regime sought to artificially encourage competition but over time has had a negative impact, resulting in new entrants relying on regulated services rather than new technology.

Question 19

Telecoms Review Panel Chpt. 9

Answer 19

Panel proposes changes to structure and operations of Canada’s policy-making and regulatory institutions.

Recommendations of report envision a more deregulatory approach.

Panel recommends a more active and dynamic role for the government in giving policy direction to the regulator.

Question 20

Lacobucci

Answer 20

2006 paper assesses current state of deregulation in Canada for telephony electricity, and airlines.

Paper asks:
1) Is the perception of dismal performance of some deregulation policies justified or are the regulatory policies optimal to face issues?

Current Canadian telecom regulation under CRTC is strong.

2) Outline lessons for future progress toward efficient industrial policy that can be gleaned from experiences so far.

Political constraints must be recognized in policy design.