Governments Must Cut Red Tape to Build 5G: Telecommunications Working Group
March 9, 2021 – Ottawa must dramatically reduce the regulatory burden on the telecommunications industry to accelerate 5G deployment, says a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute.
At their recent meetings, the Telecommunications Working Group discussed the jurisdictional hurdles facing Canada’s telecommunications sector and how to best accelerate rural and remote connectivity.
Telecommunications providers face obstacles in gaining access rights to infrastructure for installing telecommunications facilities. These barriers, alongside difficulty navigating government incentive programs for expanded connectivity, could stall the federal government’s aim of extending high-speed internet coverage to 98 percent of…
Henri-paul Rousseau – Agri-food Digital Sovereignty In Canada And Quebec
From: Henri-Paul Rousseau To: Canadians Concerned about Data Ownership Date: March 3, 2021 Re: Agri-food Digital Sovereignty in Canada and Quebec The agri-food industry is going through its own digital revolution speeding the 50-year move to precision agriculture. Torrents of data now flow from all the sensors, GPS readings and laser measurement devices, mounted on equipment; […] S3 E3: 5G and Canada’s Telecom Future
The shift to remote work during COVID-19 has shone the spotlight on Canada’s infrastructure – and its digital divide. It comes at a time when the world is making a major shift to 5G. But unlike the previous generation, this one will trigger the next industrial revolution. Host Michael Hainsworth speaks to Shaw’s SVP Brian […] Telecom Sector Investments Key to Future Prosperity: Telecommunications Working Group
February 23, 2021 – Investment in the telecommunications sector is vital for ensuring Canada’s next generation digital infrastructure, says a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute.
At their recent meetings, the Telecommunications Working Group identified and discussed policy challenges facing Canada’s telecommunications sector. The group of experts in both the private sector and academia is co-chaired by Len Waverman, Dean of DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University; and Steve Orsini, Adjunct Professor, Public Policy & Administration, Carleton University and former Ontario Secretary of Cabinet.
The shift to remote work and digital services due to COVID-19 underscores how essential reliable and…
O’reilly, Stewart – Gamestop And The Future Of Shareholder Activism
From: Hugh O’Reilly and James Stewart To: Investment World Watchers Date: February 22, 2021 Re: GameStop and the Future of Shareholder Activism The social media-driven GameStop phenomenon has given rise to analyses and commentary in several streams: market functioning, particularly excessive volatility; the need to help retail investors avoid major financial losses with improved investor protection; and the combination […] Benjamin Dachis – Cities Can Speed Development With Early Zoning Pre-approvals
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Canadian Municipal and Provincial Governments Date: January 15, 2021 Re: Cities Can Speed Development with Early Zoning Pre-approvals High home values are partly a product of limited construction. A major limit to construction is a lengthy development approval system and costs on homebuyers. Changing this system has both a public interest […] La Numérisation Ou La Désuétude Pour Les Entreprises – La Presse Op-ed
ll est grand temps que nos entreprises accélèrent leur numérisation. Celles qui ne mordront pas la carotte des appuis offerts par les gouvernements et les institutions financières goûteront au bâton des concurrents qui redoublent d’ardeur.
La COVID-19 agit en accélérateur de changement, que l’on pense seulement au télétravail et aux achats en ligne qui ont grimpé en flèche. Or, ce ne sont que deux manifestations parmi plusieurs de la numérisation de l’économie, un concept large qui englobe aussi la bande passante à haut débit qui livre les séries de Netflix ou l’accès internet aux services bancaires, par fibre optique ou par les ondes de nos téléphones.
Dans les entreprises innovatrices, l’information numérisée lubrifie…
Competition Law Has Teeth to Oversee Digital Marketplace: C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council
January 7, 2021 – Competition law enforcement should be the first defense for addressing anti-competitive behaviour in the digital marketplace, according to a report from a C.D. Howe Institute council.
Canada’s statutory framework for competition law enforcement continues to provide a robust and flexible toolkit to address anti-competitive behaviour. As such, in response to a growing movement both internationally and domestically for the regulation of “big data,” competition law should provide the framework for addressing concerns about the market conduct of digital platforms, and direct regulation should be the last resort.
This is the majority view of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its…
Von Finckenstein, Mitchell – There Is A Better Way To Amend Framework Laws
From: Konrad von Finckenstein and James Mitchell To: Navdeep Bains, Minister of of Innovation, Science and Industry Date: December 11, 2020 Re: There is a Better Way to Amend Framework Laws The government recently introduced Bill C-11, An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act and the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act. This Bill replaces […] John Pecman – Let The Market Manage Food Delivery Pricing
From: John Pecman To: Canadians Concerned about Competition Date: November 25, 2020 Re: Let the Market Manage Food Delivery Pricing As restrictions continue on in-person dining, COVID-19 has made restaurants increasingly dependent on food delivery platforms. Last month, the City of Toronto asked Ontario to temporarily cap the service fees restaurants are charged, which can be as high as […] Competition can best contain food delivery fees, not unnecessary regulation – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
As restrictions continue on in-person dining, COVID-19 has made restaurants increasingly dependent on food delivery platforms. Last month, the City of Toronto asked Ontario to temporarily cap the service fees restaurants are charged, which can be as high as 30 per cent of the bill.
There is superficial appeal to price caps, but taking economic guidance from Hippocrates – first, do no harm – they amount to quackery. Regulatory interventions need to be carefully dosed according to a precise diagnosis of market failure and the extent of the disease.
Instead of introducing new price cap regulations, Premier Doug Ford urged food delivery apps to slash commissions as a way to help out pandemic-stricken restaurants. This moral…
Climbing Out of COVID
New C.D. Howe Institute Book Chronicles COVID-19 Policy Insights A new book from the C.D. Howe Institute provides an overview of the Institute’s critical policy recommendations made in response to the developing COVID-19 pandemic. “Climbing Out of COVID” compiles communiqués from the Institute’s Crisis Working Groups, as well as Intelligence Memos and op-eds, published up […]