The Van Horne Institute is pleased to announce that its next Digital Futures symposium will be held October 15 and 16, 2015 in Olds, Alberta. Launched in the fall of 2013, Digital Future meetings and symposia have become must-attend events in Canada for rural municipal leaders and decision makers responsible for broadband enablement in their communities.

Representatives of the Alberta government – including SuperNet, Agriculture, and Innovation and Advanced Education – are confirmed attendees. NWT/Alberta Commissioner Dr. Linda Vennard be a guest speaker and a timely respondent to recent Commission rulings and undertakings regarding broadband in Canada.

Topics to be covered

• Get communities up to speed – in learning about broadband opportunities and experiences, with special presentations and a guided tour of O-NET in Olds.
• Assessing broadband development/deployment on a regional basis – the emerging importance of REDAs in guiding and enabling broadband development.
• The evolving role of the provincial government – cross-ministry GOA supports in the areas of financial, technical and informational/leadership capacities; where broadband fits in emerging areas of strategic importance, including economic diversification, environmental sustainability, and innovation/ICT strategy
• Policy issues – addressing the urban-rural divide, including strategies for overcoming limitations to regions and distant rural communities; recent CRTC hearings/rulings and their impact on and import for rural communities specifically.
• Communication strategies – lessons from Olds and the United States on creating momentum and the conditions for coordinated and sustainable change at all levels of community engagement.

The symposium will take place in Olds, Alberta. Additional details will be released shortly.