Commission Letter Addressed to Paul Temple (Pelmorex Weather Networks (Television) Inc.)
Ottawa, 17 May 2018
BY EMAIL
Mr. Paul Temple
Sr. Vice President, Regulatory & Strategic
Pelmorex Weather Networks (Television) Inc.
2655 Bristol Circle
Oakville (Ontario), L6H 7W1
Re: Implementation of Wireless Public Alerting – Visible test alerts
Dear Mr. Temple,
In Telecom Decision CRTC 2018-108, CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee – Consensus reports on a proposed wireless public alerting test alert schedule and methodology, the Commission approved the proposed Wireless Public Alerting test schedule of five tests per year, one of which would be visible to end-users during Emergency Preparedness Week (EPW).
As reported in the media, the visible tests issued during the 2018 EPW did not achieve full success, and in some instances, the test alerts were not distributed at all on LTE networks of the Wireless Service Providers.
In light of the importance of ensuring that Canadians can access emergency alerts on the various platforms, including radio, TV and their compatible wireless mobile devices, as the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination (NAAD) System administrator, we request that you provide the following information so that the Commission is able to make an informed decision on what additional regulatory measures need to be taken, if any:
- What actions (such as software updates, text messages, etc.) did you take prior to the dissemination of the wireless public test alerts that were visible to end-users during the 2018 EPW?
- What issues did you encounter during the 2018 EPW? Did any of these issues impede your ability or role in ensuring that the tests achieved full success?
- What issues are in your ability or power to address? What actions did you take to resolve these issues and in what timeframes?
- Are there any outstanding issues which are in your ability or power to address that remain unresolved? If so, what are they, and what actions are you taking to resolve them, and in what timeframes?
The information provided as part of the responses to the questions above should provide detailed breakdowns, by province, from your perspective as the NAAD administrator. Please be advised that the information you provide may be added to the record of a future public proceeding inquiring into the matter. Depending on the nature of the responses received, the Commission may examine, as part of this process, whether any additional measures are necessary. As a result, the information should be provided in accordance with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure.
In light of the significant importance of this issue, responses are to be filed with the Commission no later than 29 May, 2018.
Sincerely,
Scott Shortliffe
Chief Consumer Officer and Executive Director
Consumer Affairs and Strategic Policy
cc.: Stéphanie Durand
Director General
Policy and Outreach, Public Safety Canada
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