With broadband coverage on target to connect 100 per cent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2030, some may believe that Canada is close to claiming success in bridging the digital divide — but gaps remain.
Indigenous and northern communities are still behind the rest of Canada in terms of the availability of internet at speeds needed to take full advantage of essential services such as health care, education and remote work. Low-income Canadians also struggle to afford the technology and internet plans needed to participate in the digital economy, including government services and information, banking, health care, education and employment. To overcome these gaps, governments should pursue new approaches that address the needs of underserved communities and improve the affordability of the internet.
Our panellists are Ian Scott, former chairperson of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and Bill Murdoch, executive director of Clear Sky Connections. IRPP president and CEO Jennifer Ditchburn will moderate the conversation, which will be followed by a Q&A period with our in-person and virtual audiences.
The conversation will touch on Ian Scott’s IRPP research paper, Conquering the Next Frontier in Bridging the Digital Divide. The event is the third in a three-part IRPP lecture and research publication series, Imagining a Better Digital Future for Canada, sponsored by TELUS.
Former Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) chairperson
Ian Scott has over 25 years of policy and regulatory experience in broadcasting and telecommunications both in the public and private sectors.
Most recently, he served as the chairperson and chief executive officer of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Scott was appointed to the position on July 14, 2017 and led the organization from September 2017 to January 2023.
Earlier in his career, he worked at the Competition Bureau in the Regulated Industries Branch and the Mergers Branch. Afterwards, he joined the CRTC from 1990 to 1994, where he collaborated on the development of a framework for long-distance telephone service competition in Canada. Between 2007 and 2008, as part of the executive interchange program, he was senior policy adviser to the chairman of the CRTC.
Before rejoining the CRTC in 2017, Scott held various executive positions in the communications industry, including at Telesat Canada, Telus and Call-Net Enterprises, one of the first companies to offer competition in the Canadian long-distance market. He also provided leadership on broadcasting policy and regulatory issues as an executive at the Canadian Cable Television Association.
Scott has served on various boards, including Women in Communications and Technology, the International Institute of Communications, the Canadian Aerospace Association and Ski Quebec Alpin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from McGill University.
President and CEO, Institute for Research on Public Policy
Jennifer Ditchburn is the President and CEO of the IRPP. She is a not-for-profit sector executive and seasoned communicator with 25 years of experience working to make complex public policy issues and politics better understood by Canadians. From 2016 to 2021, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the IRPP’s influential digital magazine,Policy Options. Prior to joining the IRPP, Jennifer spent two decades covering national and parliamentary affairs forThe Canadian Pressand forCBC Television.
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Date and time
September 24, 2024
12:00 p.m. (11:30 a.m. for in-person registration)
