The following is the report presented to the "Access and Social Impact Working Group" of the Information Highway Advisory Council by the Coalition for Public Information on Thursday, December 15, 1994 in Ottawa. The report is based on feed-back received to date through the "Future-Knowledge" public consultation process. This report represents the first part of the draft report that CPI will present at the end of the consultation process in March. Your comments on this report are welcomed and solicited. Please feel free to pass it on for further comment. Stan Skrzeszewski The Coalition for Public Information TOWARDS A PUBLIC POLICY ON UNIVERSAL ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION FOR THE INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE. PRESENTED TO: THE "ACCESS AND SOCIAL IMPACT WORKING GROUP", INFORMATION HIGHWAY ADVISORY COUNCIL. PRESENTED BY: Stan Skrzeszewski THE COALITION FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OTTAWA, ONTARIO. DECEMBER 15, 1994. The Coalition for Public Information (CPI) was formed in November of 1993 in order to ensure that the developing information infrastructure in Canada, the "Information Highway", serves the public interest, focuses on human communication, and provides universal access to information. A national organization, CPI's membership includes over three hundred individuals, organizations and public interest groups whose goal is to foster broad access to affordable, useable information and communication services and technology. The public needs a voice in the debates about who gets connected to the information highway, what the cost is, what kind of information is available and which rules apply. That is why the Coalition for Public Information was formed. In order to reflect the public voice, the Coalition has undertaken a major cross-Canada consultation process which will not be completed until March, 1995. The results will be compiled in Future-Knowledge: The Report which will be released at that time. This report today reflects some of very early feedback from the consultation process. We expect to add many more ideas and further revisions before we develop our formal position on these issues. A NATIONAL VISION The Coalition believes that the Government of Canada must develop a national vision based on a commitment to universal access to the information infrastructure. This vision must be supported by a national information access plan with a representative public body to oversee its implementation. The vision should be based on universal access and participation. UNIVERSAL ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION All Canadians have the right to fully participate in Canadian society and democracy, and therefore have the right of universal access and to full participation in the information infrastructure. The right of access and participation will be enabled through single-party, digital access lines and electronic access from the home, school, library and places of work and governance to interactive communications, government services, public information databases, commercial services and global connectivity. PRIMARY PRINCIPLES The Coalition for Public Information believes that universal access and participation should be based on four primary principles. I. Equitable Access and Ubiquity II. Pluralism of Expression and Intellectual freedom III. The Right to Privacy IV. Intellectual Property and Copyright If these principles are used as the basis of the policies, strategies and action plans that build Canada's information highway, then the highway will serve as a much needed catalyst to economic growth and it will also be of value to the public and to the public interest. It will be an investment not only in Canada's business future, but in the future of Canada's people as well. EQUITABLE ACCESS AND UBIQUITY The most critical and complex issue to be addressed is that of access to the emerging information infrastructure. The Coalition for Public Information believes that: .1 Public and private resources must be allocated to the development of the information infrastructure. The development of the information infrastructure must not be left to market forces alone. .2 Access to basic services, including broadband and switched services, should be universal, that is, access should be affordable to all. .3 Network access and connectivity should be made available regardless of geographic location. .4 Non-profit participation in the governance in the information superhighway is essential. .5 Diversity of access should be protected through the use of non-proprietary standards. .6 Network access costs for public funded information providers such as libraries, educational organizations, government entities and for non-profit groups should be stable, predictable and not distance sensitive. Access should be on a flat-rate basis. .7 The network should be designed in such a way so as to ensure ease of use, and must include directories that allow people to effectively search and locate information. PLURALISM OF EXPRESSION AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM Our Canadian society is one of the most diverse in the world. Our cultural diversity is firmly rooted in our tolerance of the views of all Canadian, and in our commitment to human rights, including freedom of expression. The Coalition for Public Information believes that: .1 The Canadian information infrastructure should encourage the expression of the ideas of all Canadians, regardless of age, religion, race, disability, sexual orientation, social and political views, national origin and economic status. .2 Those who will act as common carriers in the information infrastructure must guarantee the free flow of information in the spirit of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and provide open access on a non-discriminatory basis. .3 Individuals should have the right to choose the information they wish to receive, and the source of that information. .4 A diversity of information sources and providers, including non-profit organizations and community groups, should be encouraged in order to guarantee and open, fair and competitive marketplace, with a full range of viewpoints. .5 The individual should be protected from unwanted or unsolicited information, and from abuses of the information infrastructure. STRATEGIES 1. Universal Access and Ubiquity. .1 A Commitment to Universal Access and Ubiquity. The Coalition recommends that the Government of Canada must develop a national vision based on a commitment to ensuring that all Canadians are connected to the information infrastructure. .2 ISDN Since the current infrastructure combined with expanded ISDN service can provide most of the digital information services without requiring high bandwidth cabling the Coalition for Public Information recommends that regulations for infrastructure development for the information highway should provide incentives (eg.lower tariffs) for the proliferation of universal ISDN telephone service in advance or parallel to the proliferation of high bandwidth ATM fibre-optic services. .3 Training and Development Foundation Since universal access and participation will require broad-based training and ongoing support, and since the training program should be independent of government or corporate agendas the Coalition for Public Information recommends that telecommunications and cable television companies be required to pay a one-time levy for the establishment of a public interest foundation whose mandate will be to support efforts which ensure universal access to the information highway through training, equipment purchases, technical consulting, research and foundation grants. This foundation could be administered by the proposed National Access Board. .4 Public Participation The Coalition supports the commercialization of the information infrastructure since this will provide valuable services and business opportunities. However, commercialization must not deny access for non-profit groups, public agencies and individuals to high bandwidth networks. The Coalition for Public Information recommends that 20% of the carrying capacity of the future broadband networks be reserved for non-profit agencies and civic participation. .5 People with Disabilities The information highway will enable people with disabilities to have access to information and learning opportunities on the same basis as the general population. Participation in the current information infrastructure has been virtually impossible for those with impairments, such as blindness and other visual handicaps, because so much information is driven by print. Digital information opens a new opportunity for people with disabilities for full participation and access. Therefore the Coalition for Public Information recommends that the information infrastructure be made accessible through a variety of access methods, including visual and sound methods, so as to ensure universal access for all. .6 Access for People in Rural and Remote Areas. Since it is unlikely that ISDN or ATM will penetrate rural and remote areas, and since CPI is committed to equitable and ubiquitous access, The Coalition for Public Information recommends that wireless technologies be considered in order to provide access to these areas. .7 Affordability Affordable pricing policies must be established that support the concept of universal access and participation. It must be recognized that in some cases affordable may mean no fee. The Coalition recommends that pricing for network access and use must be set to encourage usage and not be distance or time sensitive. If based on bandwidth pricing must not exclude people on low incomes. .8 Directories The usability of the system to access information will depend on indexing and directory services. The Coalition recommends that The Government of Canada develop strategies and financial support for the development standards-based navigational and retrieval tools, including directories that will identify and locate information. 2. Pluralism of Expression and Intellectual Freedom. .1 Eliminate the Legislative Distinctions Among Technologies. The continuing process of convergence is blurring the distinctions between the different information technologies, therefore the Coalition recommends that the distinctions in legislation and regulation about the different technologies be discontinued. This discontinuance must be conducted over a period of time to prevent any service disruptions, provide existing services with some time to adapt and to allow any new services an opportunity to prepare for the new opportunities. .2 Content Pluralism of expression and intellectual freedom are dependent on sufficient content being available to reflect a wide range of views. The Coalition recommends that the Government of Canada develop strategies for the rapid digitalization of government information sources and of the holdings of libraries. .3 Model Libraries The newness of the information infrastructure means that we lack models and experience of the new governance structures, collection management tools, access systems, and digitalization processes and issues. The Coalition recommends that the federal funding be provided to libraries to develop pilot projects that will define and create a digital library as a model for implementation across Canada. NATIONAL ACCESS BOARD The development of universal access and participation in the information infrastructure in Canada will be a long term and evolutionary process. This process should be guided by a permanent national board which will evaluate progress and develop strategies to achieve universal access and participation. Many of the recommendations made in this report could be referred to the National Access Board for implementation. It is important that the board be representative of the three main sectors of Canadian society. These are the government sector, the corporate or private sector, and the non-profit or social sector. This board could be attached to the CRTC or CANARIE, but it must be noted that neither of these bodies are fully representative of Canadian society.