CanWISP 2023: What to See and Do at This Year’s Conference

by Neil McDonald | March 17, 2023 | Events

CanWISP 2023

Now that we’ve returned from this year’s WISPAMERICA, it’s time to take off to the Great White North and attend CanWISP 2023 in Quebec! 🍁

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the conference, to be held at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau from Monday, March 27th to Wednesday, March 29th. For those unfamiliar with the area, Gatineau is located on the Ottawa River just a 10-minute drive from Canada’s capital city, making it a great location for an extended work trip/vacation.

Around 300 attendees and over 20 vendors are expected at this year’s event, and we’ve got the lowdown on what not to miss when you get there. Also, make sure to drop by and visit the Preseem booth during Expo Hall hours!

The Gatineau skyline, with the Supreme Court of Canada building (located in Ottawa) shown in the bottom right.

Sessions to Attend at CanWISP 2023

Monday, March 27th

Industry Insights: By the Data: 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. – After a kickoff welcome and introduction from Gudie Hutchings, Canada’s Minister of Rural Economic Development, our very own Preseem CEO Gerrit Nagelhout will host the first session of CanWISP 2023. Join Gerrit for an insightful look at how ISPs can use data to quantify subscriber quality of experience and grow their business.
Quickfire Presentations: 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Get familiar with the vendors you’ll be seeing in the Expo Hall (including Preseem) by listening to rapid-fire 60-second introductions from reps of each company.
IPv6 Help Desk with ARIN: 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) will be in attendance to help anyone who has questions about IPv6. These may include how to validate your Point of Contact record, whether you’re eligible to get IPv6 with no additional fees, and more.
Speech by Adam Scott of the CRTC: 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Join Adam Scott (no, not that one), Vice-Chairperson, Telecommunications at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), to learn about his experience developing government programs to improve broadband access in rural Canada, among other topics.

Skyline of Louisville, Kentucky, host city of WISPAMERICA 2023

Tuesday, March 28th

The WISP Business: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. – After breakfast is served in the Mozart room at 8 a.m., join Wisper CEO Nathan Stooke for proven tips on how to grow your ISP. Based in Illinois, Wisper is a fast-growing provider known for their problem-solving and superior customer service. Find out why running a WISP is about more than just throughput, ping time, and jitter!
Spectrum – The Road to 2030, Opportunities and Obligations: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Hosted by Brenda Bouchette, Technical and Economic Adviser at Tacit Law, this session will explore Canada’s goal to connect 100% of Canadians by 2030. What will this look like for rural operators? With the clawback of 3.65GHz, what spectrum can operators use to build rural networks? What new requirements will you have to meet? Find out the answers to these questions and more.

Wednesday, March 29th

CRTC Under New Management – What Does it Mean for Rural ISPs?: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – This panel discussion will feature Rachel Thomas, Member of Parliament for Lethbridge, Peter Menzies, Senior Fellow with the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, and Monica Song, Partner at Dentons Canada LLP. Join them for a lively debate on what new CRTC leadership could mean for local and regional operators in Canada.
Independent ISP Update: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – This panel will bring together representatives from a number of associations to talk about the common ideals, goals, and challenges faced by independent ISP organizations. Featuring Bob Allan (British Columbia Broadband Association), Jay Thomson (Canadian Communications Systems Alliance), Geoff White (Competitive Network Operators of Canada), Jonathan Holmes (Independent Telecommunications Providers Association), and Jonathan Black (CanWISP).

An example of the Preseem booths that will be at WISPAMERICA 2023

Visit the Expo Hall

With over 20 vendors and 300 registrants in attendance, the Expo Hall is sure to be a busy hub at CanWISP 2023. Please note the hall is only open during designated times, so make sure to plan your days accordingly to optimize your time with vendors.

Expo Hall hours:

Monday, March 27th: 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 28th: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, March 29th: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

In addition to all the informative sessions and industry networking, we hope you’ll find time to explore Gatineau and Ottawa during conference off-hours. If you’re not too tired after a busy day of learning and networking, or if you’re able to take some vacation time to bookend your trip, here’s a few resources you might find useful:

No matter what you end up doing, CanWISP is always a great time. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with old friends, meeting some new rural ISPs, and getting the latest tips from the experts. See you there, eh?