Herve Guy of CANARIE sits at the controls during a live high-definition MusicGrid demonstration during APEC TEL 33 in Calgary, AB.

The Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) had the opportunity to discuss trade, investment and international partnerships with APEC’s 21 member economies at the 33rd APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group meeting, held in Calgary, Alberta from April 23-28.

APEC TEL is considered one of the most active and dynamic working groups within APEC, with members from Canada, China, Japan, Australia, the United States, Mexico and others. Reflecting the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region, the working group is mandated to improve the telecommunications and information infrastructure while facilitating effective cooperation, free trade, investment and sustainable development.

APEC TEL 33 was the largest meeting to date, with over 300 delegates from outside of Canada and 200 Canadians participating. CRC was part of the organizing committee, led by Industry Canada. The meeting gave representatives the chance to discuss key issues such as effective regulation, wireless security, spam and related threats, advanced technologies for remote communities and persons with disabilities, strengthening trade flows, support for the World Trade Organization’s negotiations, and ways to best make use of emerging technologies.

During the meeting’s opening reception, CRC facilitated demonstrations to illustrate the benefits of broadband for remote communities by linking music students with instructors via videoconference technology.* Attendees in Calgary were able to see and hear former principal trumpet player Doug Sturdedant of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, teaching a student jazz quartet at a school in St. Johns, Newfoundland. The remote village of Kangiqsualujjaq, Quebec was also connected by a broadband satellite connection, allowing delegates to watch aboriginal musician Karen Kettler in Ottawa teach Inuit schoolchildren a throat singing and drumming lesson. CRC’s MusicGrid partners, including the National Research Council, the National Arts Centre, CANARIE and Telesat, supported the demonstrations.

During the program, CRC organized a Broadband Remote and Indigenous Communities Workshop. A satellite connection provided by Telesat enabled a virtual presentation by a teacher and students from the Ulluriaq School in Quebec. Mark Brazeau, vice principal and coordinator of the broadband program at the school, also joined the workshop via satellite. Discussion focused on broadband for remote and indigenous people and the impact that access to broadband technologies has had on the remote Inuit community.

CRC organized the Grid Showcase which offered APEC TEL delegates the opportunity to view ten leading grid applications from Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Canada.** Connectivity assistance from CANARIE and Telus allowed each of these applications to be carried over the CA*net 4 infrastucture and then into other national networks. CANARIE also presented a demo of the second-generation User Controlled LightPath (UCLP) software, a new technology that gives users the ability to create and manage their own private optical networks. CRC assisted to connect Canada and Chinese Taipei during the event.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) represents one of the fastest-growing world regions and is a major contributor to global prosperity and stability. The combined population and GDP growth of that region represents half of the world population and trade.

*For more information about CRC’s MusicGrid program, please see Issue No. 2/Fall 2005 at: http://www.crc.gc.ca/en/html/crc/home/mediazone/eye_on_tech/eye_on_tech.

**For more information about APEC TEL 33 and the Grid Showcase, please contact Debbie Kemp at debbie.kemp@crc.gc.ca