ARCHIVED -  Letter

Ottawa, 28 May 2013

BY E-MAIL

To : Distribution List

Re : Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-669, Review of Northwestel Inc.’s Regulatory Framework, Modernization Plan, and related matters (NoC 2012-669), as amended – Organization and conduct of the public hearing

Dear Madam/Sir :

The Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing in connection with the above-noted proceeding commencing on Monday, 17 June 2013 at the Community Hall of the Midnight Sun Complex, in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The public hearing will reconvene on 19 June 2013 in Rooms A and B1 of the Yukon Convention Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon. Note that Tuesday, 18 June 2013 is reserved for travel between Inuvik and Whitehorse.

The purpose of this letter is to provide parties with information on the organization and conduct of the public hearing.

Sitting Schedule

The hearing will begin on Monday, 17 June 2013 in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, immediately following a welcome ceremony led by a representative from the Aboriginal community, which will be held at 8:30 a.m. The hearing will last no more than one day at this location. The hearing will then continue on Wednesday, 19 June 2013 in Whitehorse, Yukon, again immediately following a welcome ceremony at 8:30 a.m.

Phase I (opening presentations) is expected to last two days, followed by Phase II (oral reply) of the hearing on the third day. If it appears that the hearing is behind schedule, it may be necessary to revisit the schedule and sit into the evening on one or more days.

The order, location and estimated date of appearance of parties who advised the Commission of their intention to appear are set out in the Schedule to this letter. Please note that the order of appearance of the public hearing will be available on the Commission’s website at the following link, http://www.crtc.gc.ca/telecom/eng/hearings/2013/ag17_06.htm, and will be updated, if necessary, prior to the hearing.

All other persons interested in the proceeding and members of the public are invited to attend as audience members.

Participants are responsible for monitoring the progress of the hearing so that they are aware of any Commission directives and are ready to make their presentation on the day scheduled, or if necessary, the day before or after their scheduled date of appearance, depending on the progress of the hearing. Please be advised that an audio link will be available throughout the hearing on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca.

Transcripts

The Commission has made arrangements to provide stenography services for the hearing. Those who wish to obtain same-day or other services are to contact Steno Tran as soon as possible prior to the hearing to make arrangements. The person requesting the service is responsible for the transaction and payment of such services. Bill Curley from Steno Tran may be contacted at 613-521-0703 extension 105 or bill.curley@stenotran.com. The transcripts will be posted daily on the Commission’s website.

Presentations

Phase I: Presentations by the Parties

The maximum amount of time permitted for each participant’s presentation at the public hearing is set out in the Schedule to this letter.

Presentations will be followed by questioning from members of the Commission panel.

The Commission must be advised in advance of any audio-visual presentation (the duration of which must be included in participants’ allocated presentation time), since those participants will be required to make arrangements to rent technical equipment if necessary. Participants who wish to employ an audio-visual aid are to contact Lynda Roy, Hearing Secretary by e-mail at lynda.roy@crtc.gc.ca (tel: 819-953-4009) by no later than Friday, 7 June 2013.

Phase II: Oral reply

Parties who appeared in Phase I will each have an opportunity to make oral reply comments in Phase II of the hearing. The order of appearance and allocated presentation times are set out in the Schedule to this letter.

During this phase, parties are to restrict their arguments to addressing the submissions of other parties, following which Commission panel members may ask questions. In addition to, or instead of, presenting reply comments at the hearing, parties may file final written arguments, as discussed below under “Post-public hearing written submissions”.

Parties are requested to advise the Hearing Secretary before the end of Phase I whether or not they wish to appear in Phase II.

Responsibility of the participants

Parties are required to bring with them all relevant documentation and knowledgeable personnel, including any relevant experts. An adverse inference may be drawn from the failure of a party to do so.

For ease of translation and transcription, and to assist the Commission panel members and Commission staff, participants are requested to bring 40 copies of their prepared remarks, any charts, tables, or graphics which participants intend to use during their presentation, as well as the seating plan of their presentation panel (view from the Commission panel).

The Commission would appreciate if participants would provide an electronic version of their prepared remarks to the stenographer prior to, or at the conclusion of, their oral presentation.

Notification of attendance and further inquiries

In order to assist the Commission, participants must file the following via GC Key, providing a copy to Lynda Roy, Hearing Secretary, via e-mail at lynda.roy@crtc.gc.ca, by Monday, 3 June 2013.

• Confirmation that the party still wishes to appear at the hearing;
• The name, telephone number, and email address of the participants (or the participant’s representative) to be used to contact the participant immediately preceding and during the hearing, if necessary, to obtain information or to inform them of matters relating to the hearing;
• The names and titles of any representatives who will appear on behalf of the participant at the hearing;
• The number of additional people associated with the participant who will be attending the hearing (for planning purposes); and,
• Requests for accommodation at the hearing for people with disabilities

Please note that this information will not be posted on the Commission’s website.

Copies of documents filed

Participants are reminded that, in accordance with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure, only evidence in support of statements already on the record is admissible at the public hearing, without the permission of the Commission. Should a party intend to bring forward new evidence, including proposed exhibits or attachments to the oral presentation, they must notify the Hearing Secretary of their intention in advance of their oral presentation and must request permission to do so from the Commission at the beginning of their oral presentation.

With respect to any documents filed at the public hearing (such as exhibits, proposed exhibits, responses to undertakings), 40 copies must be provided to the Hearing Secretary for the Commission’s use.

Organisation of the Hearing Room

Parties are advised that separate tables for each party will not be provided in the hearing room. Parties who wish to follow the hearing in person may sit in the audience or in the public examination room.

Post-public hearing written submissions

In accordance with the procedure established in NoC 2012-669, as amended, parties are reminded that they may file final written arguments on any matter within the scope of this proceeding by 8 July 2013. Final written submissions, including an executive summary, are not to exceed 25 pages.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

John Traversy
Secretary General

Attach.

Schedule: Order of Appearance

Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-669, as amended
Public Hearing Participants
PHASE I – OPENING PRESENTATIONS
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
Commencing on Monday, 17 June 2013
Order and Dates of Appearance*

Monday, 17 June 2013 – Inuvik
1. Northwestel Inc. (30 minutes)
2. Government of the Northwest Territories (20 minutes)
3. Government of Nunavut (20 minutes)
4. Falcon Communication GP Ltd (10 minutes)
5. Jeanine Omingmak (10 minutes)
6. Chris McNutt (10 minutes)
7. Eeyou Communications Network (10 minutes)

Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-669, as amended
Public Hearing Participants
PHASE I – OPENING PRESENTATIONS
Whitehorse, Yukon
Commencing on Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Order and Dates of Appearance*

Wednesday, 19 June 2013 – Whitehorse
8. Arctic Fibre Inc. (20 minutes)
9. Government of Yukon (20 minutes)
10. TELUS Communications Company (20 minutes)
11. First Mile Connectivity Consortium and K'atl'odeeche First Nation (20 minutes)
12. Public Interest Advocacy Centre / Consumers’ Association of Canada (20 minutes)
13. SSi Group of Companies (20 minutes)
14. Ice Wireless & Iristel (20 minutes)
15. Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (20 minutes)
16. MTS Inc. and Allstream Inc. (20 minutes)
17. Total North Communications (10 minutes)
18. Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs (10 minutes)
19. Dakwakada Development Corporation (20 minutes)
20. Utilities Consumers’ Group (10 minutes)
21. Juch-Tech Inc. (10 minutes)
22. Aurora Technologies (10 minutes)
23. Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce (10 minutes)
24. JarWin Enterprises Ltd. (10 minutes)

Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-669, as amended
Public Hearing Participants
PHASE II – REPLY ARGUMENTS
Whitehorse, Yukon
Order and Dates of Appearance*

Thursday, 20 June 2013 - Participants will proceed in the reverse order of appearance of the opening presentations in Phase I
1. JarWin Enterprises Ltd. (5 minutes)
2. Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce (5 minutes)
3. Aurora Technologies (5 minutes)
4. Juch-Tech Inc (5 minutes)
5. Utilities Consumers’ Group (5 minutes)
6. Dakwakada Development Corporation (10 minutes)
7. Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs (5 minutes)
8. Total North Communications (5 minutes)
9. MTS Inc. and Allstream Inc. (10 minutes)
10. Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (10 minutes)
11. Ice Wireless & Iristel (10 minutes)
12. SSi Group of Companies (10 minutes)
13. Public Interest Advocacy Centre / Consumers’ Association of Canada (10 minutes)
14. First Mile Connectivity Consortium and K'atl'odeeche First Nation(10 minutes)
15. TELUS Communications Company (10 minutes)
16. Government of Yukon (10 minutes)
17. Arctic Fibre Inc. (10 minutes)
18. Eeyou Communications Network (5 minutes)
19. Chris McNutt (5 minutes)
20. Jeanine Omingmak (5 minutes)
21. Falcon Communication GP Ltd (5 minutes)
22. Government of Nunavut (10 minutes)
23. Government of the Northwest Territories (10 minutes)
24. Northwestel Inc. (15 minutes)

*Note: A number of parties have requested that they be heard by way of videoconference or teleconference. For these parties, reference to location of appearance is to be understood as a reference to the hearing location where they are to be heard.
*Note: The dates of appearance are estimates only, based on projected sitting times.

Date modified:

2013-05-28