Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 317 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DE LA TECHNOLOGIE DE L’INFORMATION ITAC on Digital Economy | Page 2 THE VOICE OF THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR IN CANADA | www.itac.ca servers to applications) can be challenging, particularly for small businesses. Rationalizing and standardizing CCA for ICT classes of assets would help to encourage technology adoption. Specific attention should be paid to standardizing the classes of depreciable assets listed under: • Class 8: radiocommunications equipment; • Class 42: fibre optics; and • Class 46: data network infrastructure equipment and systems software. A targeted tax credit that encourages companies to invest in digital and network infrastructure will not only help Canadian businesses to scale and compete globally—it will also unleash socio-economic benefits to Canadians across the country. Develop partnerships, funding vehicles and policy initiatives to enable 5G technology in Canada Next-generation 5G technology offer transformational opportunities for Canada: propelling research, powering “smart” cities, producing immense quantities of open data, and ushering in a new wave of telecommunications expertise. Moreover, 5G technologies have the potential to connect businesses and innovators like never before, solidifying the teleconnections core of the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto- Kitchener Waterloo super-cluster. 5G could also help support new clusters across the country and strengthen our research and business relationships with the United States. As other countries test new technologies to enable 5G, Canada has an opportunity to become a world leader and develop the best 5G companies, researchers and talent in the world. Include “digital” in the definition of infrastructure Unlike bridges, highways and railroads, telecommunications networks are not defined as infrastructure. This limits the amount of available funding to build out these networks and creates red tape—making deployment of a network even harder. Including “digital” in the definition of infrastructure would allow urban as well as rural communities to receive better service, and reap the socio-economic benefits of connectivity. Inclusivity via Connectivity The digital economy brings clear economic benefits to Canadians: among them, increasing productivity, modernizing traditional industries, and creating new businesses and jobs. But the digital economy also facilitates a new way of doing things. One such example is public engagement. This past election saw advanced and innovative social media campaigns as an effective tool for engaging with voters and disseminating information. In addition, the recent 2016 census collected most of its information from citizens who submitted their data online. By creating accessible and convenient touch points through the internet, the government has made it easier to engage with its citizens. A digital economy built on the right infrastructure can also create new opportunities for learning and receiving medical care, as described below. Fund telehealth services in both urban and remote communities Telehealth—that is, offering a convenient, efficient alternative to traditional touch points with medical practitioners—is one of the most transformative ways that technology can positively impact Canadian communities. Telehealth is particularly important for Canadians who: • use homecare; • have mobility challenges; and/or • live in rural and remote communities—including First Nations and Indigenous populations, where telehealth may be the only means of quickly contacting a medical professional. In this sense, telehealth bridges an important gap by bringing medical practitioners into underserviced areas. Telehealth presents a huge opportunity in the mental health arena, where many communities are critically underserved; and also creates opportunities to bolster preventative medicine, by increasing the likelihood of frequently check-ins with doctors. As such, ITAC recommends that the Government standardize and increase the CCA from its current rates to 50% for ICT classes of assets, including those related to communications networks equipment and broadband networks. Therefore, ITAC recommends that the Government seek out industry and government partners to develop the talent, funding vehicles and policies necessary to enable 5G in Canada. ITAC recommends the Government integrate telecommunications networks and core supporting technologies, like cyber security protections, into its general definition of “infrastructure.”