Telecom Trends

Last week, I started to review the party platforms, looking at the official positions being set forth in Canada's upcoming elections. On Sunday, the New Democratic Party set out its platform [ pdf] and telecom policy plays a more prominent role than we saw from the Liberals or Green Party last week.

Like the Greens and Liberals, the NDP are promising to introduce new legislation "to prevent the publication or proliferation of child sexual abuse content on the Internet." The NDP has joined the Green Party in promising to regulate the internet. The NDP go further than simply looking at regulating traffic; they plan to regulate prices as well.

Implement “net neutrality” to protect everyday Canadians’ right to freely access the internet content of their choice at a flat rate and with clear and transparent rules. We will end price gouging and “net throttling”, preventing a two-tiered internet in Canada.

The NDP are the first party to mention plans to improve access to broadband internet:

Invest in a pan-Canadian broadband strategy to bring high-speed internet to more communities in Canada.

The NDP also plan to combat identity theft, control online computer fraud, including spamming and “phishing,” working to implement new measures to fight cyber-crime. The party also addresses new media with a promise to strengthen the delivery of new internet-based media services from CBC and Radio Canada.

The NDP, through such members as MP Charlie Angus, has been active in raising the awareness of telecom issues in the most recent session of Parliament. Although I often disagree with their positions, I admire the focus in the coverage of telecommunications issues as evidenced in their platform document.

Technorati Tags:
broadband, internet, election, NDP