CIRA calls for ‘national vision’ for Internet

A new report from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) calls for a “national vision” for the Internet in Canada. The report, released Wednesday, produced the findings of a national consultation called the Canadian Internet Forum (CIF), which CIRA conducted in 2010 and 2011 with partners the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Media Awareness Network. “Participants in the CIF process felt there is a need to develop a national vision of the role the Internet can play in Canada’s future economic and social development, as well as a need for leadership in turning this vision into reality — not just in government, but also in industry, in the scientific and technical community, among academics and educators, and throughout the public and voluntary sectors,” the report said. The report added the "vision should be based on the fundamental principles of democratic governance, such as respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and incorporate the basic principles that have guided the development of the Internet, such as openness, transparency, multi-stakeholder engagement, and consensus-driven processes.” The report noted previous attempts to develop a national vision for the role of the Internet, such as the Information Highway Advisory Council in the 1990s and the Conservative government’s consultation on a national digital economy strategy last year (the results of which have not yet been announced). CIRA’s national consultations dealt with a variety of issues, including the digital economy, digital literacy, online safety and security, and broadband costs and speeds. The report also said that participants in the consultation were concerned that the broadband services available to Canadians lag behind those available in other countries “in terms of download and upload speeds, in absolute numbers and in relation to cost, and saw this as an impediment to Canada’s economic and social innovation.” CIRA said in a release that the report will be presented to the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum, where countries discuss the future of the Internet.

CIRA calls for ‘national vision’ for Internet

Brief | May 4, 2011

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CIRA calls for ‘national vision’ for Internet

Brief | May 4, 2011

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