Industry committee  Thanks very much. Essentially, as you know from my theme, if you're going to have small business and all of these businesses joining into this kind of commerce and into the new kind of digital economy, we're going to have to find a way to make sure that there's rural infrastructure.

Industry committee  Yes. For example, when you start looking at the 700 megahertz spectrum right now, we don't know when the next auction will be and what kind of spectrum the next auction will involve. Some people talk about 600 megahertz spectrum, but it could be 10 years in the future before the next auction.

Industry committee  In terms of making sure that everyone is connected, they have a number of plans in the United States, and they're putting some dollars away with that. I know we can't necessarily do that in Canada; there's the fiscal situation and those kinds of things. Again, I referred earlier to the high cost of making sure that everyone can participate.

Industry committee  I'd like to say something to that question. I'm sorry; I don't mean to take up your time. But there is a way to start bringing that out into rural areas in a way without coming to government taxation. We had what was called a high-cost serving fund to stimulate the affordability of basic telephone services.

Industry committee  I do believe he should reconsider for a number of reasons. So much of the very scarce resource is going to be left unused for the next 10 years if we do not use it. That's going to be the case not just in rural Saskatchewan but in rural areas across Canada. This is a finite resource.

Industry committee  SaskTel is the only company in Saskatchewan that actually has an HSPA network in rural Saskatchewan. We are the only ones who would be obligated to provide any kind of rural service when we begin to do this. That would only be if were able to buy the two blocks. Again, we'd like to get the two pairs, but we'd be the only service provider.

Industry committee  One of the things that we have to understand with the 700 megahertz spectrum.... By the way, I agree with the previous comments that people have to have access to this kind of technology, and that it has to be used. One of the problems with the rules right now for companies like SaskTel or Vidéotron, etc., is that the maximum we can buy under the rules is maybe just 5 megahertz.

Industry committee  Thanks very much. Again, thank you for inviting SaskTel to speak to you. What I will focus on today is essentially rural infrastructure. Your other presenters have talked about the slower communications and about online. Again, online purchasing in rural areas could be very advantageous.

Industry committee  Okay. That sounds good.

Industry committee  That's no problem at all.