5. International Comparisons of National Digital Strategies

The main inspiration for this issues discussion paper was the release of Digital Britain, which provides a useful backdrop to the consideration of the issues to address in Canada. In addition to the UK example, there are other national initiatives of western countries to benchmark the issues suggested in this discussion paper that Canada should address.

5.1 Digital Britain: Raising the Bar for Canada

One example of an integrated national digital strategy, Digital Britain, shows that the UK clearly understands the digital connection that fosters the creative industries, generates innovation in technology, and drives economic growth. In the UK, a nine-month process shepherded by Lord Stephen Carter, a prominent political figure, led to the creation of this uber policy report for culture, technology, and communications.

There is little doubt why the creative industries command much attention in the UK as part of innovation and economic growth. The creative industries represent more than 8% of the UK’s GDP.³¹ In comparison, Canada creative industries generate less than half that amount.³² Surprisingly, Canada maintains a similar level of cultural contribution to GDP as the US, although the latter is more geographically concentrated in Los Angeles, New York and a few other centres for particular creative industries like music in Nashville or Austin (Texas). While Canada may not catch up to the UK in terms of the creative sector’s percentage of GDP, it shows that there is tremendous opportunity for growth.

Digital Britain sets a coherent policy for several interrelated areas, among them the following (see box for more details):

• upgrading education and training for digital literacy;
• addressing copyright compliance;
• stimulating investment capital for high-speed accessibility;
• setting targets for universal access to broadband services;
• funding high priority TV content (e.g. children's TV programming); and
• creating innovation and investment incentives for digital content, applications and services.

The UK’s solutions will not be Canada’s solutions, but its integrated approach is a great model for Canada. The specific initiatives put forth in the Digital Britain report broadly fit into three categories: upgrading digital skills; strengthening the creative industries; and extending broadband and digital TV accessibility. In Table 2 below some of these programs are highlighted:

Digital Skills Training	Strengthening the Creative Industries	Broadband and Digital TV Accessibility
Reform ICT skills education from the primary level up to secondary – focus on real life applications	Negotiate multi-annual settlements for the BBC that ensure political pressure-free funding	Actualize the broadband Universal Service Commitment of 2Mbps by 2012
Allocate £8.5m for the establishment of the National Skills Academy for Information Technology – will train 10,000 ICT professionals in first 3 years	Coordinate industry, ISPs and government approaches to policing IP infringement and piracy	Commit to ASO and completely digital TV broadcast by 2012
Spend £11m for ICT specific skills under the Train to Gain scheme, under which 1m workers have received job support & training	Expand greater cultural tax credits and relief to creators of British TV, films and videogames	Clear the 800Mhz spectrum band after ASO & expansion of 3G coverage
	Award £25m to the British Film Institute for digital archiving of heritage film collections	Allot £300m aid to low-income families for home broadband access

As shown above many of the initiatives that Digital Britain has proposed deal with thematically similar issues to those that Canada needs to address. Building upon what the UK has proposed, there is an opportunity for Canada to take an integrated approach to digital strategy a step further.