Investing in 5G is key to Canada’s COVID recovery, tackling climate change

A fundamental question for Canadians as we head into our first post-COVID election is: what does a true recovery look like–and how do we get there? One thing seems certain. The right recovery isn’t about recreating what was. Instead, it means finding new ways to build back our economy for the long-term while tackling and solving our toughest social challenges. From a short-term perspective, Canada’s economic outlook remains upbeat. As vaccinations reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and business activity ramps up, Canadian entrepreneurs are playing a key role in our economic resurgence, creating 40 per cent of new jobs annually and raising the profile of our country’s tech ecosystem around the world. Our entrepreneurs will need the right infrastructure and technological tools to deliver new ideas that will propel our economy forward over the longer term, and drive the social and environmental solutions Canada and the world needs. Paired with the right support from policymakers, businesses, and start-up accelerators, 5G wireless technology will be key to unlocking that immense potential. The good news is, Canada has the right ingredients in place to make that happen. Entrepreneurial spirit is high, 5G availability is expanding, and we’ve already got some of the best networks in the world. Putting them all together could spur re-invention across any number of sectors and issues. Case in point: Accenture recently found that fast, effective deployment of 5G wireless could play a pivotal role in Canada achieving its climate change reduction commitments. Implementing 5G could help eliminate between 48 and 54 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. That’s the same as taking 10.5 million passenger vehicles off Canadian roads for a full year. It’s also just one of many 5G use cases with a tremendous upside, matched only by the wealth of entrepreneurial talent and determination that abounds from coast to coast to coast. As the world’s top-ranked country for social entrepreneurs, Canada is ripe with resilient, mission-driven individuals working to solve our toughest challenges. By the last quarter of 2020, a new generation of these entrepreneurs were a key force driving new business creation in Canada at a rate well ahead of pre-COVID levels. Organizations like NEXT Canada, which empowers entrepreneurs through access to education, mentorship and funding, see the kinds of things these new businesses can accomplish. For example, Vancouver-based Moment is working to provide safe, reliable energy for remote Indigenous communities. Toronto’s AI-backed EAIGLE has been scanning 500,000 body temperatures monthly to assist with social distancing and infection control protocols. The Montreal-based entrepreneurs behind LUX Aerobot are using high-altitude platforms to prevent forest fires. All three ventures graduated from NEXT’s accelerator program in 2020. While navigating a pandemic, they continued to scale, launch new products, create jobs, and stay true to the purpose at the heart of their ventures. Their work would not be possible without the world-leading speeds and reliability of Canada’s 4G networks. When 4G was launched with its blazing fast speeds, no one imagined what innovators and entrepreneurs could dream up. Yet today, we take on-demand services like Uber and Spotify for granted. Imagine what high-achieving innovators and others will do when enabled with the infinite capabilities that 5G will bring, with even faster speeds, faster response times, and greater reach to connect a multiplicity of devices. From driving innovation and fueling productivity to improving quality of life, the possible economic and social benefits of 5G are huge. With access to the power of 5G, Canadian entrepreneurs will develop new applications, build new businesses, and unlock solutions we can’t yet even define. But the momentum to make that happen can only come from a powerfully connected ecosystem, where policymakers, businesses, and accelerators work together to enable entrepreneurs with a digital infrastructure built for tomorrow. We need: Governments fostering the right regulatory environment to encourage and incentivize 5G investment. That’s how we get entrepreneurs building new solutions, fuelling innovation, and growing the economy. Studies show wireless industry investments in 5G networks are expected to contribute an estimated $40-billion annually to the national economy, and 250,000 new jobs by 2026. Businesses putting skin in the game to partner with policymakers and start-up accelerators through alliances and in-kind support. That’s how we get entrepreneurs tapped into capital and resources to launch solutions sooner. Accelerators driving the commercialization of made-in-Canada solutions through programs, access, mentoring, and guidance. That’s how we connect entrepreneurs to the supportive community that can provide the bandwidth and counsel socially conscious businesses need to get off the ground. 5G can be the spark that ignites a more resilient, inclusive economy, grounded in purpose and tuned in to societal needs. Its potential will grow exponentially in the hands of Canadian entrepreneurs ready to leverage its tremendous power for positive change. We need to support, empower and keep our next generation of entrepreneurs in Canada. Let’s work together to give them the digital infrastructure they need. Kyle Winters is Chief Executive Officer of NEXT Canada, a national non-profit organization that develops exceptional founders who are creating world class ventures, and increasing Canadian prosperity. The Hill Times

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Paired with the right support from policymakers, businesses, and start-up accelerators, 5G wireless technology will be key to unlocking that immense potential.

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Investing in 5G is key to Canada’s COVID recovery, tackling climate change

Paired with the right support from policymakers, businesses, and start-up accelerators, 5G wireless technology will be key to unlocking that immense potential.

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