Once a month, we partner up with LobbyIQ to update our readers on recent movements in the federal lobbying landscape in Ottawa. We provide separate coverage for each channel, defined by the most relevant industries, organizations, institutions, and subject matters.

Key Takeaways — ICT & Cybersecurity

• Lobbying activity totalled 250 meetings in March 2026, up from a 12-month average of 195.4.
• The biggest moves were in Software and Security and investigation services.
• Valid8 Financial, Canadian Corps of Commissionaires were more active than usual.

Section A: The Themes Hidden in March 2026 Data

Government Funds AI R&D Amid Spike in Software Lobbying

The federal government’s $66 million allocation to 44 SMEs through the AI Compute Access Fund coincides with unusually high lobbying by software and security firms such as TELUS Corporation, Google Canada Corporation, and Amazon Web Services Canada, Inc., advocating to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the House of Commons for national AI policy, talent development, and federal support for innovation. This funding round—part of the Sovereign AI Compute Strategy—underscores calls, echoed by these organisations, for increased access to high-performance computing and public-private partnerships in the digital economy.

📎 Canada allocates $66 million to 44 SMEs under AI Compute Access Fund

CRTC Finalizes Fibre Wholesale Rates Amid Competition Advocacy

In April 2026, the CRTC set out final wholesale fibre-to-the-premises rates, closely following March’s surge in lobbying by TELUS Corporation and TekSavvy Solutions Inc. with the House of Commons for greater competition and equitable access to telecom infrastructure. The policy aims to stimulate market competition and affordable internet as smaller providers, including TekSavvy Solutions Inc., pressed for cost certainty—paralleling industry efforts, as discussed with Public Safety Canada, to address bottleneck facility access through regulatory changes.

📎 Cheaper fibre internet could be on the way as CRTC finalizes wholesale ... · Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2026-43

CRTC Revises Cancon Rules, Limits AI Use Amid Media Lobbying

After a marked increase in lobbying around Bill C-11, copyright, and digital platform regulation by Apple Canada Inc, TikTok Canada, and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters with Canadian Heritage (PCH) and the House of Commons, the CRTC updated the definition of Canadian content in late 2025, introducing explicit restrictions on AI’s role within creative positions. This policy shift, affecting both traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms, addresses ongoing industry concerns about cultural production and Canadian talent within a modernized regulatory framework.

📎 CRTC updates definition of Canadian content, putting limits on AI use · CRTC Bolsters Canadian Content

Federal Push for AI Data Centres Coincides with Infrastructure Advocacy

Early May 2026 saw the federal government announce partnerships with Telus Corporation to construct large-scale AI data centres in BC, following calls from industry, including Cohere and Global Relay Communications Inc., to address infrastructure gaps and secure Canada’s sovereign cloud capabilities with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The initiative comes amid persistent lobbying by organizations such as TELUS Corporation and Quantum Industry Canada for investment in research, talent development, and domestic AI-critical infrastructure.

📎 Ottawa partners with Telus on AI data centres

Section B: Lobbying Activity by Industry

This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.

Lobbying activity across this channel totalled 250 meetings in March 2026, up from a 12-month average of 195. The most active industry was Software, while Telecommunications rose above its recent baseline.

The industries with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Broadcast media production and distribution logged 11 meetings, up from an average of 9, Software logged 102 meetings, up from an average of 54, Digital media and social networks logged 12 meetings, up from an average of 9, and Security and investigation services logged 21 meetings, up from an average of 4.

Computer and electronic product manufacturing had 17 meetings, down from an average of 21.

Section C: Lobbying by Industry for the Past Year

To contextualize, we show each industry's lobbying activity over the past 12 months. The combined view from Section B and C shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.

Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-03

Software saw lobbying run notably above expected levels in March 2026.

↳ Software has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Software displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Security and investigation services has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Security and investigation services displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Telecommunications has been trending downward in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Telecommunications displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Broadcast media production and distribution has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Broadcast media production and distribution displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

Section D: Lobbying Activity by Organization

In this section, we see the organizations with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity.

The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Valid8 Financial, Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, Secure Future Research Ltd DBA ControlAI, and Cohere.

On the quieter side, Rogers Communications Inc. pulled back from its usual pace.

Section E: Lobbying of Government Institutions in the Past Month

Every time an organization lobbies, there is a government official representing a government institution at the other side of the table. This section shows the industry-institutions pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity. Below that, we show the corresponding organization-institution pairs.

Industries → Government Institutions

Organizations → Government Institutions

The busiest industry → institution corridors this month:

↳ Software → House of Commons: 43 meetings (avg 13, +242%).

↳ Software → Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED): 15 meetings (avg 9, +61%).

↳ Telecommunications → House of Commons: 13 meetings (avg 21, -37%).

The busiest organization → institution corridors this month:

↳ Secure Future Research Ltd DBA ControlAI → House of Commons: 16 meetings (avg 4, +357%).

↳ Valid8 Financial → House of Commons: 9 meetings (avg 1, +1100%).

↳ Google Canada Corporation → House of Commons: 7 meetings (avg 3, +155%).

Section F: Industry and Organization Lobbying by Subject in the Past Month

All lobbying activity is tagged with a "subject matter". This section shows the industry-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity, and below it the organization-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month.

Industries → Subjects

Organizations → Subjects

The busiest industry → subject corridors this month:

↳ Universities, colleges and research institutes → Intellectual Property: 58 meetings (avg 28, +111%).

↳ Software → Science and Technology: 49 meetings (avg 26, +87%).

↳ Aerospace product and parts manufacturing → Intellectual Property: 41 meetings (avg 16, +156%).

The busiest organization → subject corridors this month:

↳ Aerospace Industries Association of Canada → Intellectual Property: 27 meetings (avg 8, +227%).

↳ The University of British Columbia → Intellectual Property: 26 meetings (avg 6, +333%).

↳ Secure Future Research Ltd DBA ControlAI → Foreign Affairs: 16 meetings (avg 5, +249%).

Section G: Last Month's Most Lobbied Politicians and Civil Servants

This section presents a list of the politicians and civil servants who took the most meetings with key industry players last month.

Most Lobbied Individuals by Sector

Most Lobbied Individuals by Organization

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by sector) this month were Digital media and social networks → Brandan Rowe (Privy Council Office (PCO)), Security and investigation services → Roble Osoble (House of Commons) and Software → Hosai Zurmati Halim (Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)).

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by organization) this month were Ontario Child Sexual Exploitation Investigators Association (OCSEIA) → Roble Osoble (House of Commons), Octasic Inc. → Ezechiel Nana (National Defence (DND)) and Facebook Canada Ltd. → Miro Froehlich (Privy Council Office (PCO)).