Ottawa is Canada's 'telecom town'

Ottawa could easily be Canada's Telecom Town. Combine the telecommunications companies and knowledge base here plus the government that regulates the industry and its no wonder the Telecom Hall of Fame makes Ottawa its home.

Canada is a world leader in phone, telegraph, radio, satellite, TV and Internet communications. It's a $40-billion business here.

On Nov. 10 Canada's telecom leaders will gather to celebrate this year's additions to the Hall. Previous Ottawa inductees include; Don Chisholm, who headed Bell Labs and is called the "Father of the Digital World"; Terry Matthews of Mitel and Newbridge; the Communications Research Centre; Nortel; and Colin Franklin, a leader of our first satellite project.

Lorne Abugov is an Ottawa lawyer who's spent 30 years in telecom. Seven years ago he conceived the Hall of Fame. "Telecom has been the poor country cousin of the railway industry," he says. "Telecom has done just as much to tie our nation together. "

Right now the hall exists only as a website. Abugov wants a building and says he'd like "to renew discussions with the Museum of Science and Technology about a possible joint effort. A big part of what we do is to educate Canadians and I have learned a lot about our telecom history."

This year the event has added a forum on mobile devices as a way to pay the bills, plus a review of the state of telecom and a special luncheon. Abugov plans to create a Canadian Telecommunications Week to be held each year in Ottawa.

Among those to be recognized this year are the more than 600,000 Telecom Pioneers. Telecom workers who volunteer in their communities.

Website of the week: telecomhall.ca

Great history on Hall of Fame inductees and details of this year's events.

This Sunday on TECH NOW: Two more up-and-coming tech companies in the capital