Brian O'Higgins
VP, CTO & co-founder of Entrust Inc.

The Internet is transforming the way that governments and enterprises conduct business, which in turn is expanding the scope and quality of Internet connectivity for citizens. Broadband Internet has helped to enable this shift, and will prove to be the foundation upon which the evolution in connectivity is built.

We are still in the early stages of online interaction. The first phase is access to information. We are now into the second step: the ability to conduct transactions, such as filing an e-form online instead of downloading one to be filled out manually. The most significant step is just around the corner: a transformation of services to fit the new medium, rather than merely automating existing processes. In this stage, businesses, for example, would deal with customized pages and forms for their own business rather than e-filing a generic form. This would be an enormous stride towards a friction-free online environment.

A "government outward" strategy is necessary because Canadians are faced with an interesting challenge - one of geography. While many "wired nations" have a more evenly dispersed high population density, Canada has a very low population density, with pockets of urbanization. It will take government initiatives - such as GOL - to act as catalysts to further drive momentum in enterprise, and thus citizen, connectivity. If left alone to commercial market forces, connectivity will suffer in regions of lower population density and adversely affect national connectivity as a whole.

In order to embrace the benefits that can come with the transformation phase that provides more of a friction-free environment, Canada must continue to support innovations in Internet technologies and services, particularly through government initiatives.