Appeared in the Toronto Star on March 15, 2010 as bookstalls Rules About Competition, Not Culture Eight years ago, the federal government faced a hot-button cultural policy issue as online retail giant Amazon.com, which was already selling millions of dollars of books to Canadians from its U.S.-based site, sought entry […]
Archive for March, 2010
Government Pulling Support for Community Access Programs
Marita Moll reports that Industry Canada has sent letters to thousands of community access program sites advising that funding is coming to an end for most sites. CAP was established in 1995 to provide community access to the Internet. The program will be scaled down to cover only those communities without access to a publicly funded library within 25 kilometres. Other program sites will see their funding disappear effective April 1, 2010.
Industry Canada describes CAP in the following manner:
The program plays a crucial role in bridging the Digital Divide; contributing to the foundation for electronic access to government services; encouraging on-line learning and literacy; fostering the development of community based infrastructure; and, promoting Canadian e-commerce.
The Government says the program is no longer needed. The letter to administrators states:
FCC Chair Genachowksi on Broadband
FCC Chair Julius Genachowksi has a strongly worded op-ed on a U.S. broadband strategy that is scheduled to be unveiled on Tuesday.
UK Digital Economy Bill Update
There has been a lot of activity on the UK Digital Economy bill in recent days including a leaked recording industry lobby document outlining its efforts to push the bill through and news that the Lib Dems plan to oppose the disconnection and web censorship provisions.