Abstract
This paper examines Canadian federalism's impact on broadband telecommunications infrastructure development in Canada by discussing the limits of the federal telecommunications regulatory sphere in relationship to provincial policy frameworks. I argue that the extensive centralization of federal regulatory powers over telecommunications has not been meaningfully leveraged to promote a national policy approach to telecommunications development. Telecommunications infrastructure development is further frustrated by vastly divergent regulation of right-of-way by provincial regulators and municipalities. As a consequence, telecommunications infrastructure development has become the domain of provincial governments. This paper further considers the emergence of a regime of competitive federalism and province-building through policy experimentation by provincial governments in the absence of meaningful fiscal and collaborative federalism.
Highlights
Federalism-e is an electronic student journal about federalism, multi-level governance, and intergovernmental relations put forth in collaboration between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada
To what extent do competing governments in Canada’s decentralized federal system play a role in broadband telecommunications infrastructure development in Canada? This paper will argue that despite the Canadian federal government’s near-exclusive regulatory control in the telecommunications sector, telecommunications infrastructure development has become the domain of provincial governments, who engage in a regime of competitive federalism and province-building, and assert their right to provide and withhold right-of-way for new telecommunications infrastructure development
This paper argues that despite the extensive centralization of telecommunications regulatory powers at the federal government level in Canada, and the accepted notion that telecommunications infrastructure is an interprovincial work, the federal government has chosen not to leverage fiscal or collaborative federalism to advance telecommunications infrastructure development by preferring unilateral market-oriented regulatory solutions
Summary
Federalism-e is an electronic student journal about federalism, multi-level governance, and intergovernmental relations put forth in collaboration between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada. This paper will argue that despite the Canadian federal government’s near-exclusive regulatory control in the telecommunications sector, telecommunications infrastructure development has become the domain of provincial governments, who engage in a regime of competitive federalism and province-building, and assert their right to provide and withhold right-of-way for new telecommunications infrastructure development.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
