We check in on ITWC’s latest MapleSEC satellite series event, the Supreme Court of Canada says no to big telcos’ cries for a pricing appeal, and President Biden signs another exec order, this one tackling the global chip shortage.
It’s all the tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Friday, February 26, and I’m your host Alex Coop.
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After an overwhelmingly positive response to last October’s MapleSEC event hosted by ITWC – corporate sponsorship also made it a free event – we decided to host a series of Satellite sessions between now and October to make sure the topic of cybersecurity remains a year-round conversation. The topic front and centre Thursday was new threats and responses. A panel of three CISO’s and one industry executive shared their thoughts on new and evolving cybersecurity threats. December’s cyberattack on the SolarWinds Orion network management platform was just a hint of things to come, according to panellists. The day also featured a workshop where participants were split into separate groups to try and tackle a unique case study involving a cyberattack. The next satellite series is on May 11 and will focus on training. If you want to check out the stuff you missed, visit MapleSec.ca, and if you’re already registered, you can use your registration to watch everything on-demand.
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Supreme Court of Canada rejects telecom incumbents’ appeal of CRTC’s 2019 rate-correction ruling
The Supreme Court of Canada says it will not hear big telcos’ appeal of the CRTC’s lowered wholesale internet rates. This comes after Bell and five cable companies, including Rogers, and Shaw Communications, filed two separate appeals in November asking the Supreme Court to overturn the Federal Court’s decision that upheld the lowered rates set in 2019. In August 2019, the CRTC lowered wholesale rates that larger carriers can charge internet service providers. It even ordered them to make payments to compensate for the previously higher rates. Incumbents like Bell and Rogers challenged the new rates, with many of them submitting petitions to the Cabinet calling for the rates to be reversed. Reaction to the news has been swift, with the smaller ISPs and coalitions seeking better internet pricing claiming a small victory for now.
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And lastly, President Joe Biden signed another executive order this week. This one is meant to address the global chip shortage impacting industries ranging from medical supplies to electric vehicles. According to supplychaintechnews.com, the order includes a 100-day review of key products including semiconductors and advanced batteries used in electric vehicles, followed by a broader, long-term review of six sectors of the economy. The long-term review will allow for policy recommendations to strengthen supply chains, with the goal of quickly implementing the suggestions, Biden said at a press event Wednesday before he signed the order.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire Newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your mailbox every day. I’m Alex Coop, thanks for listening!