Communications Research Centre (Canada) : The Communications Research Centre (CRC) is "the federal government's primary laboratory for research and development in advanced telecommunications." Some of CRC's most well-known projects completed to date include the development of communication satellites (for use in broadcasting and in search and rescue, for example), the establishment of the first international terrestrial connection to ARPANET, the precursor of the Internet, and the discovery of photosensitivity in optical fibre, which lead to the establishment of high-speed internet.
The origins of the CRC extend from the period of the Second World War. During that time, the National Research Council (NRC) examined how radio waves and electronics equipment could be used to bolster Canada's war effort.
In 1951, these research initiatives were incorporated into the Defence Research Telecommunications Establishment (DRTE), which created Canada's first satellite, Alouette 1 in 1962.
Following this engineering feat, the government moved to expand research in civil communications and the CRC was officially established in 1969 under the Department of Communications (part II of the Government Organization Act, S.C. 1968-69, c.28).
At that moment, the CRC's research programme focused on the fields of communications, satellite technology, and spectrum management.
The CRC remained within the Department of Communications until 1993. At that date, the department became defunct and its telecommunications and technology components, along with the CRC, were transferred to Industry Canada (IC).
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the CRC placed a greater emphasis on partnerships with industry, and by the early 2000s, one of CRC's focuses was on Research & Development commercialization, in which it assisted Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the telecommunications sector to test and develop new products.
The institution also touted a strong record of collaboration with other government departments, agencies, and academic institutions.
Today, the CRC assists a number of government departments in their use of the radio spectrum, including the Department of National Defence, Public Safety Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The CRC operates now within the Spectrum and Telecommunications Sector (STS) in Innovation, Science and Economical Development (ISED).
The current CRC mission is to:
- Perform wireless telecommunications R&D that advances the efficient exploitation of the radio spectrum, and serves as the government's leading source of scientific knowledge and long-term technical advice for spectrum management, regulation and policy purposes;
- Support critical wireless telecommunications operational requirements of Government of Canada departments and agencies, such as National Defence and Public Safety; and
- Take part in strategic R&D collaborations that leverage CRC's activities, resulting in knowledge and technology transfer, to the benefit of Canadian industry, the economy and Canadians.
