Yes.
Evidence of meeting #166 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was internet.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #166 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was internet.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
Okay, we'll have a recorded vote, please.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 8; nays 1)
We're going to move to Mr. Graham.
You have five minutes, please.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Thank you to the witnesses. I would like to apologize to you for that little delay. This is what we're talking about, how to deal with these services. I think that's already the purpose of what we're doing here.
I just have a couple of quick questions and then I'll hand it off to others, because I know a lot of people want to ask questions today.
Xplornet, you have a lot of LTE antennas in my riding and a lot all across the country, as you discussed with Mr. Albas a minute ago.
C.J., what is the possibility in the long term of using the fixed mobile services infrastructure for mobile service as well? Is that a possibility, or are they two totally different worlds?
9:50 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
It is a possibility. The 5G [Technical difficulty--Editor]
Sorry, there is tremendous feedback on the line.
The 5G technology will see a merging of the fixed wireless and mobile configurations. It's expected that the radius will be substantially similar, if not identical, so the ability to do exactly that is highly, highly likely.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Okay, that's wonderful.
For RightMesh, I'm going to ask the same type of question. I was surprised to be in Manawan last year, a reserve north of my riding, where everyone had cellphone service through WiFi on the reserve, but there is no actual cellphone service per se.
Using your technology and your systems, could we go so far as to stick mobile phones on top of a tower and have repeaters around an area that way to create a network?
9:50 a.m.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, RightMesh Project, Left
Yes, I suppose you could do something like that. I think maybe another use case we could do in that type of situation is to extend out the WiFi beyond the coverage it currently has.
June 4th, 2019 / 9:50 a.m.
Liberal
9:50 a.m.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, RightMesh Project, Left
Sorry, I wasn't sure if you could hear me there for a second.
Yes, you could extend the WiFi coverage beyond what was possible there. Rather than being within a one-hop range of the WiFi network, you may be able to be four or five hops away, a few phones away rather than right in the town.
I suppose you could stick it on top of a tower, but I think at that point you might as well make use of antennas and things that are designed for that type of thing. There is off-the-shelf hardware that you can use that's probably cheaper than going all the way to a cellphone tower, but you could use some hardware for that.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
That's fair enough.
I have a lot more questions, but I don't have a lot of time, so I'll pass some of my time to Mr. Massé.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Rémi Massé Liberal Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Thank you, Mr. de Burgh Graham.
Mr. Nepton, in your presentation, you mentioned that the carriers should not be the only ones to designate the locations to be served. You said that perhaps elected officials should be involved in this process. I would like to hear your comments on the CRTC's strategy, which has established a map with hexagons to determine which areas are served and which are not.
According to you, is this map appropriate to try to specify the areas to be served and the funds needed to provide these areas with infrastructure or technology?
9:50 a.m.
Coordinator, Agence interrégionale de développement des technologies de l'information et des communications
That is a relevant question.
Since we have conducted very exhaustive studies, mainly in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, on Internet and cellular coverage for speeds of 50 to 10 megabits per second, I can tell you that the CRTC's maps, like those produced by Industry Canada, unfortunately have some shortcomings. The design of these maps is based on voluntary declarations by the carriers. For the very large players, the map is quite accurate. When it comes to providing information, companies such as Rogers, Telus, Vidéotron and Cogeco are very rigorous. Unfortunately, for smaller players, it is also in some cases a strategic element aimed at limiting a competitor's development capacity in a given territory. Since the player must declare what speed he is offering in given places, it can happen that the lead of his pencil is a little thicker.
We noted in our area, particularly on the last CRTC map, that about 20% of municipalities designated as already well served were not, in fact. A lot of in-depth work must therefore be done to demonstrate that the map is not entirely accurate. The CRTC's position is that we must demonstrate that the territories are not well served. It will then request a new assessment from the carriers concerned. This basis is an excellent element for decision-making, but needs to be refined from local results.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Rémi Massé Liberal Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Thank you. Your feedback was greatly appreciated.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Thank you again, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to go back to Xplornet. In my previous questioning, I asked you for your opinion on option one and how many customers would lose service, and I do understand there's some reluctance to share exact information, but I'd also like to ask how many customers would potentially lose service with option two.
9:55 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
Our concern is not only who loses service, which is obviously extremely concerning if you're completely cut off, but with the reduction they are proposing, the net result would be a diminished service for those who [Technical difficulty--Editor] to be connected. You not only have the folks who are losing service, but you'd also have virtually everyone being impacted by diminished service.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
As spectrum is very, very important when I speak to industry representatives, this obviously will harm rural areas, because people want to be able to access the economy and make use of different health initiatives. I know the Province of British Columbia has invested quite a bit in rural health initiatives via Internet. That would be an issue if the government proceeded with option two, correct?
9:55 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
Very definitely. The one key thing to understand is that, in urban areas, spectrum only carries the one to two gigs that the average person uses with cellphones. In rural areas, it carries 160 gigabytes per month, so it's magnified more than 150 times what the urban situation is in terms of per person usage.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
I appreciate your pointing that out.
As the 3,500 megahertz spectrum has been used for rural deployment of fixed wireless, it is now very desirable for 5G coverage. In your opinion, should the government find new spectrum and set it aside for fixed wireless?
9:55 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
There is. The international band being designated, which is referred to as “the 3,500” actually goes from 3,400 megahertz up to 3,800 megahertz. Currently, we're using only 175 megahertz of that. They don't need to actually displace the existing licensees. They can look at what the government has already identified as 75 megahertz below the existing band that could be made available, and 100 megahertz of what is currently referred to as the “C band”—3,700 megahertz to 3,800 megahertz—and make that available. It's currently used for satellite, but it is not fully utilized, and arguably could be shifted up into the 3,800 megahertz to 4,200 megahertz range.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
So there are other options than what's on the table. Is that correct?
9:55 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
Absolutely. As I said, 175 megahertz is available today. There is approximately 175 megahertz that could be made available, literally, tomorrow.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
When that is raised, what is the response?
9:55 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
The government was very thoughtful and has taken that away.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Okay.
What is your opinion on the current consultation around smaller tier areas for spectrum auctions? Do you think that flexible spectrum and separating urban from rural areas could help alleviate the problem?
9:55 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, General Counsel, Xplornet Communications Inc.
It could certainly help a great deal. Xplornet is supportive of that. If you're familiar with the current tier-four areas, you know that Calgary and everything through to the Rocky Mountains right up to the B.C. border is within one tier known as Calgary. That makes for a tremendous number of people who are definitely in rural Alberta who are trapped within the urban licence of Calgary.