$Unique_ID{COW00728} $Pretitle{408} $Title{Canada Chapter 3D. Communications} $Subtitle{} $Author{Ivan P. Fellegi} $Affiliation{Statistics Canada} $Subject{canada communications radio information telephone per cent stations telecommunications canadians} $Date{1990} $Log{} Country: Canada Book: Canada Handbook Author: Ivan P. Fellegi Affiliation: Statistics Canada Date: 1990 Chapter 3D. Communications Communications play a central role in the lives of Canadians. In the past, communications helped overcome barriers of vast distance and rugged terrain in order to develop rich natural resources in Canada. Today, Canadians rely increasingly on the creation and communication of information as a source of jobs, wealth and social progress. In 1986, information workers (those engaged in processing, analyzing and distributing information) accounted for nearly half of Canada's total employment - evidence that Canada is being transformed into an information-based society. This shift is of comparable historical significance to our earlier transition from an agricultural to an industrial society. Communications services are changing, as a result of technological advances. Telecommunications and computer technologies are now converging into the new field of information technology. The unified system of computers and communications that is being created is like a network of electronic highways transporting the information on which we depend. The benefits of information technology are familiar to many Canadians. For example, at more than 5,000 automated teller machines across the country, Canadians can make bank deposits, withdraw cash and pay bills at any hour of day or night. Many retail stores have cash registers connected to computer systems that automatically update inventory records at the end of every business day. Taxis can now be dispatched by computer messages appearing on the screen of small mobile data terminals similar to those used by police forces. Librarians search electronically for bibliographic references, and airline agents consult flight schedules and make reservations using computer communication systems. Private companies and public institutions are also making increasing use of information technology. Office workers are now using electronic workstations to perform a variety of tasks such as word processing, financial analysis, storing and retrieving information, consulting remote data bases, and communicating text, numbers and graphics. In assembly-line plants, computer-controlled robots help to manufacture cars and industrial machinery. The forest-products industry relies on computer systems to direct the sizing and cutting of logs for maximum economy. Hydro networks monitor their transmission grids using information automatically collected at checkpoints throughout the system and fed back along communications lines to major control centres. Canada has become a world leader in information technology in the fields of health care and education. Long-distance medical examinations and the remote diagnosing of health problems are available in certain parts of Canada. Much of the pioneering work was performed at Memorial University of Newfoundland, which has been extensively involved in the development of satellite-based health care delivery systems. This Canadian technology is being shared with countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Pioneering work in educational broadcasting and other forms of tele-education has included using communications to deliver computer-aided courses or to permit consultation between teachers and students in different locations. In recognition of Canada's expertise in this area, both the Commonwealth and La Francophonie have requested that Canada take the lead in developing distance learning centres and television program services for the benefit of their member nations. In 1986, 10 per cent of Canadian households had home computers (not counting computers used exclusively for business or games). The number of home computers is growing every year. Word processing and spreadsheet programs are the most popular applications, but as more Canadians buy computers, new opportunities are opening up for exchanging information and conducting business transactions. In 1988, two commercial services tailored to the market for interactive consumer services were introduced in the Montreal area. Bell Canada's system, called ALEX, is based on computer graphics technology developed in the 1970s by the Department of Communications' researchers under the name Telidon. The competing MINITEL system uses French technology. Both systems feature easy-to-operate terminals about the size of a small TV set. Bell expects that 16,000 customers will rent terminals while another 4,000 subscribers will adapt their own personal computers to the system. Telidon is already serving a variety of applications in countries around the world, from answering tourist inquiries to analyzing the stock market and providing weather briefings for pilots. In 1986, the computer and telecommunications industries spent about $1 billion on R&D - about 30 per cent of total industrial R&D spending in Canada. Almost one-quarter of this work was performed by Bell Canada Enterprises, the balance carried out by other companies, universities and government laboratories. Communications Canada, a department of the federal government, operates Canada's largest program devoted to long-term applied research in communications and information technology. Over the years, the department's laboratories have achieved many significant advances in satellite and fibre-optic communications as well as major improvements in radio technology. A current focus of research efforts is on designing a small pilot-less microwave-powered aircraft to serve as an inexpensive alternative to a satellite. The Stationary High Altitude Relay Platform (SHARP), successfully demonstrated in 1987, would retransmit radio signals over large areas and could bring greater communications coverage to countries or businesses unable to afford satellites. Complementing R&D programs in Canada are tests and trials to encourage people to explore ways they can use both new and established technologies. Communications planners are now laying the groundwork for development of our networks to bring the information age within the reach of all Canadians. The Canadian communications system is already largely digital. In digital communications, signals are transmitted in pulses (the language of computers) instead of the earlier mode of continuous waves, as used in analogue transmission. Digital communications can carry much larger amounts of information for longer distances with less distortion. The goal is a system that will permit end-to-end digital communication of voice, data and video. Instead of using one network for telephone, another for high-speed data and a third for broadcasting, Canadians will, in future, be able to access all telecommunications services through a single outlet similar to a telephone jack. The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) of the future is not a separate new communications system. It is a concept that will unify existing networks through the application of international standards which Canada is helping to develop. The first phase of ISDN is based on using the copper wires that now connect the individual subscribers to the networks. This would permit a customer, for example, to simultaneously place a telephone call and establish a high-speed data communications link. The real impact will be felt in the second phase, with the installation of optical fibres. Instead of the electromagnetic waves or pulses used in copper wires, optical fibres use light to carry information. They are capable of carrying amounts of information so much greater than either telephone lines or coaxial cables that a customer could plug in a television set, a burglar alarm, a computer and a telephone all at the same time on the same communications line. Computers and computer-based office equipment can exchange information and share processing functions, regardless of manufacturer or country of origin. A general world model was agreed upon in the early 1980s and is already being tested in Canada for the communication of bibliographic and banking information. Developments in communications and information technology are now shaping the information age of the future. The changes in our economic and social life, which this new age will bring, will profoundly affect the way we live, the way we work, how we are educated, how we use our leisure time and how we interact with others in our communities, across the country and throughout the world. Regulation of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Under the terms of the Broadcasting Act, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulates and supervises the Canadian broadcasting system: radio, television and cable TV as well as specialty and pay television channels. The Commission issues broadcasting licences and holds public hearings to consider applications relating to broadcasting undertakings, policy and regulatory matters. At these hearings, members of the public may comment or intervene on specific applications or issues. Canada's telecommunications services are subject to legislation, policies and regulations set by federal, provincial and municipal governments. Seven telecommunications companies are regulated by the CRTC, which is a federal agency: Bell Canada, British Columbia Telephone Company, CNCP Telecommunications, Teleglobe Canada, Telesat Canada, NorthwesTel and Terra Nova Tel. The other major telecommunications companies are provincially regulated; and a number of telephone companies come under municipal jurisdiction. Regulation of Radiocommunications Radiocommunications use that part of the electromagnetic spectrum that lies between audible sound and infrared light. Effective management of this limited resource is essential to ensure that as many people as possible have interference-free access to radiocommunications for their business and personal affairs. In Canada, this is the responsibility of a department of the federal government, Communications Canada. Under the Radio Act, this department regulates all radiocommunication facilities in Canada, issuing technical certificates for stations that are part of a broadcasting undertaking and licensing the use of radio for other applications, mainly communications. Statistics on Communications Telecommunications Carriers. Canada's telecommunications carriers operate a vast telecommunications network carrying information in the form of voice, data and images. The bulk of the communications traffic is handled by the coast-to-coast integrated network of Telecom Canada, whose 10 members include nine telephone companies and Telesat Canada, the corporation that owns and operates Canada's commercial satellite system. Incorporated in 1969, Telesat established the world's first domestic commercial communications satellite system in 1973. At the end of 1986, Telesat had four commercial satellites in operation serving a network of more than 230 earth stations. Public message (telegram) service is provided by CNCP Telecommunications on a monopoly basis. CNCP competes with the telephone companies in providing a wide range of voice and data business communications services. In addition to these major carriers, there are dozens of smaller provincial and municipal telephone companies. In 1986, Canada had a total of 75 telephone companies. Overseas telecommunication services are provided by Teleglobe Canada through a combination of undersea cable and satellite facilities. A former Crown corporation, Teleglobe was sold to private enterprise by the federal government in 1987. Operating revenues of the telecommunications carriers, estimated at $19.9 billion in 1986, increased approximately 9 per cent over the previous five years. Approximately 600 radio common carriers, also part of the telecommunications industry, offer mainly paging, cellular and mobile telephone services to over 500,000 subscribers. Telephones. Most Canadians now have the option of buying or renting telephones from either the telephone companies or independent vendors, but all telephones must meet prescribed standards. The total number of telephones acquired from the telephone companies in November 1987 was 15.4 million, with more than 70 per cent being acquired for residential service. To connect with the public switched network, telephone subscribers must lease a network access line from the telephone company. In 1987, Canada had a total of 13.2 million network access lines, 85 per cent providing single-part access and 6 per cent providing two-party or multi-party access. Canadians made 34.7 billion local calls in 1986 and 2 billion long-distance calls, averaging 1,423 calls per person. Telephone company operating revenues amounted to $10.6 billion. Local calls generated $3.9 billion of total revenues while long-distance revenues came to $5.9 billion. Value of telephone company plant in 1986 was $19.5 billion. In 1986, the major telephone companies had 99,054 full-time employees. Radiocommunications. At the end of February 1988, there were 1,102,414 radio station licences in effect: 306,804 General Radio Service (GRS) or citizen's band (CB) radio licences; 43,205 licences for maritime mobile radio, used on ships; 103,940 base stations; 23,920 amateur radio licences; and 624,545 licences for mobile stations, including 16,620 for aircraft. Radio licences are issued for stations operated by federal, provincial and municipal agencies, stations on ships and aircraft registered in Canada, stations in land vehicles operated for public and private use, and GRS stations. Broadcasting. Canadians are heavy users of radio and television. An estimated 98.8 per cent of Canadians had a radio in their homes in May 1987, while 95.6 per cent had an FM radio set. Almost 98.5 per cent had at least one television set in their homes; 47.4 per cent had more than one set; 94.4 per cent had colour-TV; and 27.7 per cent had more than one colour set in their homes. In 1987, 67 per cent of Canadian households received cable services, and 38 per cent of Canadian homes had cable converters giving them access to between 12 and 35 TV channels. Nearly 17 per cent of Canadian homes subscribed to discretionary TV services (pay TV and specialty TV) delivered over cable systems. More than 80 per cent of Canadians watch TV at least once every day. In fall 1986, the average Canadian watched 24.2 hours of TV and listened to 19 hours of radio broadcasting in one week. In 1987, Canadians listened to broadcasting originated by 422 licensed AM radio stations, 276 FM radio stations and 132 television stations, and in programming carried by 1,205 cable television systems. Coverage was extended by 328 AM 524 FM and 1,350 TV rebroadcasting stations. The CBC operates coast-to-coast AM radio networks in both French and English, as well as FM radio networks in both languages that approach national distribution. Seventeen private commercial stations are affiliated with the CBC's English or French networks. A national English-language network commercially operated by CKO provides news and information 24 hours a day. In Quebec, there are three private French-language AM radio networks: Telemedia, Radio-Mutuel and Reseau des Appalaches. The CBC operates two nationwide television networks, one in English and one in French. There are four commercially operated networks: the CTV Network provides an English-language program service from coast-to-coast; TVA and the Reseau de television Quatre Saisons offer French-language programming across Quebec; and the privately-owned Global Communications Ltd. network serves parts of Ontario in English. The provincial governments of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia operate their own educational TV networks. Radio Canada International (RCI) is the shortwave service of the CBC. Its production studios and main office are in Montreal; its transmitters are located at Sackville,, NB. RCI broadcasts daily in 12 languages to the USSR and Central Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, Western Europe and the United States. Audience research indicates it has more than 16 million regular listeners each week. RCI's primary purpose is to reflect Canada to the world-to produce programs that tell listeners what is happening in Canada, and how Canadians feel about what is happening in the rest of the world. RCI also produces and distributes recordings for foreign AM and FM radio stations to use in their own programming. Between 1986 and 1987 it sent discs, tapes and cassettes to approximately 500 stations; these recordings represented a total of 10,000 program hours of spoken-word material (topical items about Canada) and 25,000 program hours of Canadian music (classical/serious, jazz, folk, and pop). Postal Service The Canada Post Corporation was incorporated by the Canada Post Corporation Act passed by Parliament in 1981. The transition from a government department to a Crown corporation placed Canada's postal services on a similar, legal footing to that of other Crown corporations which also have a business mandate. The objectives of Canada Post, as stated in the Canada Post Corporation Act, are to establish and to operate a postal service within Canada and between Canada and other postal administrations. With a workforce of approximately 74,000 employees; a network of 29 major, mechanized mail processing plants; 5,700 corporately-operated and over 8,000 privately-operated postal outlets; and with a fleet of 4,700 vehicles, Canada Post collects and processes almost 8 billion hard copy messages and parcels and delivers them to more than 10 million addresses in every part of urban and rural Canada each year.