Thank you for the question.
There are several measures to encourage the use of technology, such as the 2006 telecommunications policy review panel. They particularly identified ICT adoption with a lot of the tax credits that are tied to the CCA rate, and the conclusion was that it would directly help the adoption of technology, particularly among the small and medium-sized businesses. Therefore, we are asking the government to look at the across-the-board CCA rates and the several classes of depreciable assets that relate to communication network equipment, including the broadband networks. We recommend increasing them from the current rate base to 50% for capital investments.
It is not only telcos. There are cable companies and satellite providers. Communications are multi-dimensional now. Also look 100% in the areas that are particularly identified by the department of Innovation—the old Industry Canada—as underserved in connecting Canadians to broadband. These, we believe, will definitely change the way we connect communities and serve them for health, education, and even job creation.
You find that in other sectors people go to jobs. In technology, particularly in the ICT sector, jobs will go to people, so we want to make sure that people are connected to the new broadband network so they can do the work, the innovation, and contribute to the communities directly, as required.