Parliamentary Committee Notes: Public Safety Broadband Network
Proposed Response
- Effective communications in times of emergency and during day-to-day operations are critical to improve the safety of first responders, help save lives, and keep communities safe.
- Reliable emergency communications systems, including in rural, northern, and isolated communities, are key to improving Canada’s ability to effectively respond to disasters and emergency events as we face a growingly complex risk landscape.
- As part of the Telecommunications Reliability Agenda, the Government of Canada reaffirmed its commitment to support the advancement of a Public Safety Broadband Network and to work with stakeholders to support its operationalization.
- Over the last few years, significant collaborative work has been undertaken by governments in partnership with the public safety community to advance a Public Safety Broadband Network in Canada. Building on this work is an important next step.
- In June, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Emergency Management reiterated their commitment to a coordinated pan-Canadian approach and underscored the shared priority to develop a secure, interoperable and reliable telecommunications system.
- There is work to be done to make a nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network a reality, and continued collaboration is vital to ensuring an approach that meets the needs of the public safety community.
Background
As seen during the 2020 Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Event, the 2022 blockades, Hurricane Fiona, and in a myriad of after action reports; Canada’s public safety community continues faces significant interoperability challenges and emergency responders face challenges leveraging data and technology in field, impeding the effectiveness of emergency operations. Unlike many of its allies, Canada lacks a resilient, nationwide, critical communications capability that provides reliable, interoperable voice and data communication capabilities across jurisdictions and public safety disciplines. Realizing a nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) in Canada would provide a much needed secure and resilient wireless communications platform for emergency responders but will also enable new and innovative technologies and applications that enhance emergency response for Canadians, including in vulnerable and underserved communities.
Since 2012, a number of steps have been taken to enable the creation of a PSBN including the allocation of spectrum and extensive stakeholder engagement.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) first allocated spectrum for a PSBN in 2012, in total 20MHz of spectrum has been allocated. This spectrum is highly valued by telecommunications companies and the public safety community given its ability to efficiently carry large amounts of data across long distances, and to penetrate the walls of buildings.
On May 19, 2017, the Government of Canada announced a commitment of $3 million to engage diverse stakeholders and analyze options for the possible implementation and governance of a PSBN in Canada. During these consultations, stakeholders identified governance as a foundational priority and critical step to advancing work on a national approach for a potential PSBN.
In May 2018 a Temporary National Coordination Office (TNCO), staffed by federal and provincial officials and representatives from municipalities and tri-services associations, was established with a two-year mandate to develop national options and recommendations on a future PSBN for Canada, support by research, analysis and engagement with PSBN stakeholders.
On March 17, 2022, FPT Ministers responsible for Emergency Management released the TNCO’s report A Public Safety Broadband Network for Canada: A Canadian Approach to Implementation of the Next Generation of Public Safety Communications. The report includes the TNCO’s recommended approach for the development of a nationwide and interoperable PSBN that meets the needs of the public safety community. As part of their announcement, FPT Ministers expressed their support for and continued commitment to collaborate across all orders of government, industry, and first responder end users to advance a PSBN that meets the diverse needs of stakeholders.
The Government has recognized the importance of communications in emergency response and that Canada’s existing communications systems face challenges. Following the 2022 Rogers network outage, as part of the Telecommunications Reliability Agenda, Minister Champagne committed to work with stakeholders to support the operationalization of a PSBN.
On June 28, 2023 FPT Ministers responsible for Emergency Management discussed the continued work on the development of a PSBN in Canada with a coordinated pan-Canadian approach and a focus on the next steps to establish a governance framework. Ministers re-iterated the importance of interoperable communications as well as addressing the different needs in regions across Canada. At this meeting, the Government of Canada committed to launching a targeted engagement to support work towards a governance framework for a PSBN. Establishing a governing entity is the key next step for advancing a PSBN for Canada. Provinces and Territories are looking to the federal government to take this next step
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