A multidisciplinary investigation of the application of dynamic modeling to the study of telecommunications development in Canada

The potential usefulness of dynamic system models in the evaluation of the development of telecommunications has been investigated by a multidisciplinary team. A dynamic model of northwest Ontario was constructed and tested, while some work has been done towards the construction of models of individual communities within this same region. All these models are based on extensive study and field work by the multidisciplinary team. It is suggested that dynamic simulation models of this type should be regarded at this time as experimental in nature, rather than as immediately applicable planning tools. They do, however, have the potential to act as useful aids in realistic planning environments, provided that they can continue to be modified in the light of experience and further investigation. In these circumstances they are capable of yielding valuable insights into the possible future behavior of complex socio-economic systems, and can usefully integrate the viewpoints of many different disciplines. A major feature of this paper is a detailed discussion of how sustained multidisciplinary cooperation was developed during the course of this project, with a special emphasis on the informal coordination appropriate to the conduct of such work, which was on a relatively small overall scale, but involved six different disciplines in a university environment.