Indigenous connectivity needs separate funding from feds’ UBF: Telus exec

The federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund (UBF), by having rural and Indigenous connectivity initiatives lumped together, ignores the “very different” economics of connecting the two, according to Telus Corp.’s vice-president of Customer Network Implementation. Shazia Zeb-Sobani made the comments Wednesday on the final day of the Canadian Telecom Summit, at a panel on Indigenous connectivity and reconciliation, moderated by NationTalk founder and CEO Don Barraclough. Zeb-Sobani said that with regard to wireline-based connectivity, the government has put in place the UBF, however, it needs to look at Indigenous connectivity from a “slightly different” lens and a different application and qualification process. “When we look at the federal government mandate, reconciliation is such an enhanced focus for the government,” she said. “Enabling connectivity is the first thing that can lead us toward reconciliation.” Telecommunication is now seen as a necessity and essential to Indigenous autonomy, and part of economic reconciliation. The Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 calls to action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) — which Canada officially aligned itself with earlier this year after passing Bill C-15 — both include articles to increase Indigenous-owned media to promote its language and culture. The elected chief of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc -- a First Nations government within the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, B.C. -- Rosanne Casimir said that the federal government provides more Indigenous funding opportunities than the provincial government because the latter is mostly geared toward municipalities. However, she said, ”there are still a lot of doors that are put up” when it comes to senior government connectivity efforts. She said that Indigenous stakeholders are not adequately informed on funding opportunities or consulted on spectrum and other government policies to promote rural broadband, and the government needs to look at culturally appropriate ways of utilizing and bringing in those additional resources for Indigenous communities. “Each First Nations, depending on their landscape, are quite different… and we need to be able to level the resources that are available, know how to access them, but also support agreements to be able to advance those communities.” Jeff Ward, founder and CEO of the Indigenous digital agency Animikki also compared the rural-Indigenous distinction with the efforts being made for clean water. “If a rural community doesn’t have clean water it’s a different approach than if an Indigenous community doesn't have water -- if you were to lump them together it sort of disappears those colonial forces that need to be considered to create those equitable outcomes for Indigenous peoples,” he said. The calls for a change in the federal government’s funding structure mirrors the Indigenous connectivity recommendations released by the Internet Society earlier this month. “Federal funding opportunities, including development funds, should prioritize community choice, including through community networks, public-private partnerships, mesh networks, and access to Low Earth Orbit satellites where available. These opportunities should also start at the ‘First Mile’ in unconnected communities and ensure sustainability by including support for operational expenses,” the report reads. Zeb-Sobani said that solving the wireline-based connectivity will only solve one-fourth of the problem unless the government also addresses its spectrum policies, specifically set-aside spectrum -- which Telus has repeatedly criticized throughout the summit. “Rural spectrum is actually not getting developed. So we need a revision of the policy that will deliver an outcome to those living in remote areas where the set-aside is not happening,” Zeb-Sobani. According to data she cited at the conference, only 17 per cent of Indigenous communities in Ontario are properly connected, and Alberta is even lower at one per cent. -- Reporting by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca.

Indigenous connectivity needs separate funding from feds’ UBF: Telus exec

News | November 17, 2021

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Indigenous connectivity needs separate funding from feds’ UBF: Telus exec

News | November 17, 2021

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