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Adopt 'Global Broadband' to Halt Canada's Innovation Drop, Says CATA Smart City Expert
Wednesday, January 24, 2018Company Profile | Follow Company
Ottawa, ON, January 24, 2018--(T-Net)--Addressing the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, i-CANADA Alliance Chair and member, CATA Innovation Leadership Council, Bill Hutchison called for Canada to seize on 'Global Broadband' as its target for transformation.
"Our ability to innovate and compete is gated by the speed of our networks," stated Mr. Hutchison. "We need to lead the world in broadband speed - to adopt what I call a Global Broadband mentality."
"Right now, we are struggling to catch up. We need to jump ahead. Smart Communities with fast networks set the pace for continuous transformation, and that is what we urgently need."
Mr. Hutchison was the lead on the creation of the CANARIE network, Canada's fast higher education network, and created the billion-dollar network driving Waterfront Toronto's award-winning infrastructure.
"The Waterfront Toronto network has spurred over $13-billion in private-sector investment," he added.
Recently, Mr. Hutchison joined the Board of i-Valley, a not-for-profit based in Nova Scotia that is helping to transform ten rural communities. "We are doing things that are world-leading,' confirms i-Valley President Terry Dalton.
Citing a serious underfunding challenge, Mr. Hutchison noted that we need to think of our 'info-structure' on and adequate scale: "We need to spend the same amount on Broadband as we spent on our roads, electrical systems and water systems. Broadband speed equals innovation capability - the numbers show that when broadband falls, innovation stagnates."
Canada's One Voice for Innovation lobby group agrees: John Reid, President of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) says his organization's Innovation Leadership Council has been pushing the innovation-broadband connection continuously.
"Organizations like the Conference Board of Canada and the Centre for Digital Entrepreneurship and Economic Performance tell us that we are at an innovation standstill," stated Mr. Reid. "Until we jump the other nations in broadband speed we can expect no changes to that picture."
Mr. Hutchison called for the creation of a "Smart City Czar" in the federal government, who would be responsible for coordinating all spending programs and aligning work with the provincial and municipal governments. "There is no Plan B here," concluded Mr. Hutchison, "The global marketplace is increasingly competitive and a "fourth industrial revolution" centred on intelligent machines may overwhelm us sooner than we think. Smart communities are the best battle-grounds for sustainable source of future growth."
For a copy of Mr. Hutchison's presentation please contact:
Barry Gander, Co-Founder, i-Valley
Barry.Gander@i-valley.ca
About CATAAlliance
The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance) is Canada's One Voice for Innovation Lobby Group, and is crowdsourcing ideas and guidance from thousands of opt in members in moderated social networks in Canada and key global markets. (No Tech Firm Left Behind)
Contact:
CATAAlliance CEO, John Reid at email jreid@cata.ca, tel: 613-699-8209, website: www.cata.ca
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Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance)
Ottawa, ON (Non-Tech Sectors)
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