ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter addressed to the Distribution List

Ottawa, 22 November 2018

Our reference: CSP 9010-7

BY EMAIL

Distribution list

Re: Request for information on broadband maps and data

Dear Madam/Sir:

This letter is to request information regarding broadband maps and associated data sets created by the Canadian Radio-television and Commission (CRTC). These maps and data sets are based on information provided by telecommunication service providers (TSPs) to either the CRTC as part of its 2017 facilities’ survey, or to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) as part of its broadband programs.

The CRTC, in Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2018-377, Development of the Commission’s Broadband Fund (TRP 2018-377), indicated that to identify the geographic areas that may be eligible for funding, the CRTC would publish maps, based on data provided by the industry, displaying: (i) eligible hexagons for fixed broadband Internet access service projects, (ii) eligible communities for transport projects; and (iii) eligible hexagons and major transportation roads for mobile wireless service projects.

The CRTC has created the maps and associated data sets indicating the areas without speeds of 50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload for fixed broadband services; communities without high-capacity transport infrastructure;) ^Footnote1 and where homes or major roads do not have access to Long-term Evolution (LTE) mobile wireless service

The CRTC is seeking your feedback on any potential errors or omissions from the related data provided to the CRTC or ISED, to ensure the accuracy of the maps and associated data. These maps and data sets can be found on the CRTC’s website under the following link: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/internet/band.htm. 

Once the validation of the maps and data sets is complete, and concurrent with the first call for applications for the broadband fund, the CRTC will publish eligibility maps that are consistent with the scope of the call. As the scope of the first call has yet to be determined, the current maps and associated data display national coverage for all types of projects, and may not be representative of the eligible areas or project types related to the first call of applications. As a result, it should be remembered that it will be the responsibility of any applicant to ensure that they meet the specific eligibility requirements published in the first call for proposals, and they should not assume that the published map confirms their eligibility.

The maps and data sets are representative of fixed broadband and LTE mobile wireless coverage as of 31 December 2017, and transport coverage as of 31 August 2017, which is the latest national data available to the CRTC. As such, any feedback on the maps and data sets must be limited to representing coverage as of 31 December 2017. TSPs should only provide feedback related to areas that they served as of that date.

In TRP 2018-377, the CRTC also defined a satellite-dependent community as a community that has no connection to terrestrially-based telecommunications facilities for connection to the PSTN and/or the Internet, and that relies on satellite transport to receive one or more telecommunications services (such as voice, wireless [both fixed and mobile], and Internet services). TSPs are requested to review and provide feedback, with supporting evidence, in regards to whether or not the satellite-dependent communities identified in the Satellite Inquiry Report (refer to the list in Appendix 2) currently meet the definition of a satellite-dependent community set out in TRP 2018-377

The CRTC will provide certain information to ISED in order to collaborate in improving and validating the accuracy of the data and in the creation of the maps as required.  ISED will maintain the confidentiality of any information that the CRTC provides to ISED that is designated as confidential by a TSP and will protect such information from further disclosure.) ^Footnote2 Furthermore, the CRTC will aggregate information designated as confidential by a TSP to protect confidentiality when publishing maps and associated data.

The requested information is to be submitted to the CRTC by 14 December 2018 via the CRTC’s My CRTC Account, including any supporting information regarding the errors or omission being identified, such as coverage maps or data, the type of service (e.g. transport, fixed or mobile access), the specific hexagons’

All users are therefore required to establish a My CRTC Account. Accounts will expire 24 months after the last use. If you are first-time user, please refer to the instructions for submitting documents using My CRTC Account.

If you have any questions regarding the submission of your response regarding this request for information, please contact Bernard Minuk at bernard.minuk@crtc.gc.ca or 819-994-4715.

Sincerely,

Original Signed par Kim Wardle for

Ian Baggley
Director General, Planning, Broadband Fund & Networks
Telecommunications Sector

c. c.: Simon Levasseur, CRTC, simon.levasseur@crtc.gc.ca;
Bernard Minuk, CRTC, bernard.minuk@crtc.gc.ca

Distribution List

All Incumbent local exchange carriers, Competitive local exchange carriers, wireless carriers, non-dominant carriers, Internet service providers, fixed-wireless service providers, resellers, and satellite broadband providers.

Appendix (2)

Appendix 1: Information to be submitted to the CRTC when providing information on errors or omission in the Maps or associated data sets

I. Description of the Maps and other data

Fixed Internet access and transport maps: The fixed broadband internet service map layer of this map is representative of 25 km2 hexagon areas within Canada, as of 31 December 2017, where there is at least one household, as per Statistics Canada’s latest census data, but where no household has access to fixed Internet access at speeds of at least 50 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream (50/10 Mbps). The transport map layer of this map identifies communities without high-capacity transport, as of 31 August 2017. Such communities are defined as a small population centre with a population of fewer than 30,000 residents that is located at least 2 km away from a transport point of presence (PoP) with a minimum total capacity of 1 Gbps.

Mobile wireless maps: The CRTC’s mobile wireless map is representative of areas and parts of major transportation roads (rank 1, 2, or 3 as defined by Statistics Canada) that do not have access to coverage by mobile wireless LTE technology as of 31 December 2017.

List of satellite-dependent communities: The CRTC’s list of satellite-dependent communities as identified in the Satellite Inquiry Report published in October 2014 (refer to list in Appendix 2), are communities that have no connection to terrestrially-based telecommunications facilities for connection to the PSTN and/or the Internet, and that rely on satellite transport to receive one or more telecommunications services such as voice, wireless (both fixed and mobile), and Internet services.

II. Instructions for making a submission

All submissions must include the following information:

A.TSP information

1. Date of submission
2. TSP’s business name
3. TSP’s business address
4. TSP’s website address
5. TSP’s contact person information
1. Contact name
2. Contact email
3. Contact telephone number

B. Description of the proposed change(s) 

1. A general description of your coverage area

2. The type(s) of maps or data the submission is in regards to, e.g. fixed internet access, mobile wireless, transport, or satellite-dependent communities.
3. A description of the error or omission in the maps or associated data set as of 31 December 2017 for fixed internet access, mobile, wireless or transport infrastructure. Also, indicate the proposed change(s) and, for each proposed change, whether it is due to:
1. correction to data that you previously submitted to the CRTC or ISED, or
2. addition of data that you did not previously submit to the CRTC or ISED, or
3. discrepancies between the maps and associated data and the data that you previously submitted to either the CRTC or ISED, or
4. correction to data submitted by another service provider to the CRTC or ISED. In this case, provide evidence that the data submitted by another service provider is inaccurate, including the information to be provided as outline in Section C below.
4. For the list of Satellite-dependent communities, indicate that the proposed change is to either remove or add a community to the list in Appendix 2.

C. Information and supporting evidence required with Submissions

1. Fixed broadband maps

For the Fixed broadband maps and associated data identifying inhabited areas without 50/10 Mbps fixed broadband, submissions are restricted to ensuring that hexagons highlighted in green have a) at least one household and b) no household has access to fixed Internet access at speeds of at least 50 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream (50/10 Mbps) as of 31 December 2017.

Provide information regarding areas that are not highlighted as green hexagons but meet both criteria a) and b) above, or areas that do not meet either criteria a) or b) but are highlighted as green hexagons. The information and supporting evidence should include, as appropriate, the following information:

1. Identify the relevant hexagon ID as found on the map and associated data, and if not on the map as found in the “Hexagonal Grid of Canada”.
2. Provide your detailed geographic coverage data as of 31 December 2017 for the relevant hexagons by submitting a MapInfo table or ArcGIS shapefile.
3. Indicate the highest download and upload speeds available in the hexagon. Also, indicate the largest amount of data that can be transferred per month (capacity) or indicate if the capacity is unlimited.
4. For areas incorrectly indicated as uninhabited provide MapInfo table or ArcGIS shapefile containing points indicating the location and number of population/dwellings, as of 31 December 2017, within the hexagon. If submitting data in these formats is not possible, provide a list of latitude/longitude pairs along with population/dwellings count information within the hexagon as of 31 December 2017.
5. If you don’t have access to MapInfo or ArcGIS as requested above, you may provide data using Google Earth KML.

In addition, to ensure that the list of ISPs serving a hexagon that as of 31 December 2017 meet criteria a) and b) above, are correctly reflected in the maps and associated data, provide corrections to the relevant hexagons where it is believed that the list of ISPs is incorrect. The information and supporting evidence should include, as appropriate, the following information:

1. Identify the relevant hexagon ID as found on the map and associated data, and if not on the map as found in the “Hexagonal Grid of Canada”.
2. Provide your detailed geographic coverage data for the relevant hexagons as of 31 December 2017, by submitting a MapInfo table or ArcGIS shapefile.
2. Transport maps

   For the transport maps and associated data identifying communities without high-capacity transport, submissions are restricted to ensuring that communities identified as being without high-capacity transport as of 31 December 2017  are small population centres with populations of fewer than 30,000 residents as per Statistics Canada’s 2016 census data, located at least 2 km away from a transport point of presence (PoP) with a minimum total capacity of 1 Gbps.

   Provide information regarding any community not identified on the map or associated data that does not meet this criterion or any community identified on the map or associated data as without high-capacity transport that does not meet this criterion. The information and supporting evidence should include, as appropriate, the following information:

   1. Identify the relevant community name as found on the map and associated data, and if not, on the map as found in the “Geolocated placenames in Canada”. If the community is not listed in the above data, please provide the community’s name, latitude and longitude, and an indication that it is not listed.
   2. Identify the community boundaries by providing a boundary map in MapInfo or ArcGIS format.
   3. Identify the relevant PoP location in MapInfo or ArcGIS format, containing points representing the location of each PoP, and the fibre route in geospatial data.
   4. PoP details, including the owner of the PoP, and the total capacity, and indicate whether or not some of the capacity is commercially available to other service providers.
   5. If you don’t have access to MapInfo or ArcGIS, you may provide data using Google Earth KML.
3. Mobile wireless maps

   For the mobile wireless maps identifying areas without LTE mobile wireless service, submissions are restricted to ensuring that hexagons or major roads that were without LTE mobile wireless access as of 31 December 2017 are identified in the maps and associated data.

   Provide information regarding any hexagon or major road that had LTE mobile wireless service as of 31 December 2017, but are incorrectly being displayed as being without LTE mobile wireless service availability. Also, provide information regarding any hexagon or major road without LTE mobile wireless service as of 31 December 2017, incorrectly being displayed as having LTE mobile wireless service available. The information and supporting evidence should include, as appropriate, the following information:

   1. Identify the relevant hexagon ID as found on the map and associated data, and if not on the map as found in the “Hexagonal Grid of Canada”.
   2. Identify the relevant major road, with a rank of either 1, 2, or 3 as per Statistics Canada Road Network File, by submitting a series of lines representing major roads in MapInfo or ArcGIS format. Each line must indicate the road rank, road name and latitude and longitude of the beginning and end of the line (road) segment. It must also indicate the associated road arc ID from the Statistics Canada Road Network File.
   3. For LTE access coverage maps provide a coverage map in MapInfo or ArcGIS format.
   4. If you don’t have access to MapInfo or ArcGIS as requested above, you may provide data using Google Earth KML.
4. Satellite-dependent communities list

For satellite-dependent communities, submissions are restricted to ensuring that identified satellite-dependent communities are those that have no connection to terrestrially-based telecommunications facilities for connection to the PSTN and/or the Internet, and that rely on satellite transport to receive one or more telecommunications services such as voice, wireless (both fixed and mobile), and Internet services.

Provide information regarding any satellite-dependent community on the list in Appendix 2, and explain why it currently does not meet this definition. Also, provide information regarding any satellite-dependent community that is not on the list in Appendix 2. For each of these satellite-dependent communities the information and supporting evidence should include, as appropriate, the following information:

1. Identify the community’s name and province.
2. The latitude and longitude location of the community.
3. The estimated number of households.
4. The telecommunications services that rely on satellite transport, such as voice, wireless [both fixed and mobile], and Internet services.
5. The name(s) of the service providers in the community that rely on satellite transport to provide either voice, wireless [both fixed and mobile], or Internet services.

III. Sources of data to use when submitting information

When submitting information to identify hexagons, communities, population, or major roads that are not identified in the maps or associated data, the information should be based on using the following sources of data, which are the basis upon which the maps and associated data are created:

1. Hexagons - When identifying hexagons utilize the “Hexagonal Grid of Canada” available as open data at https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/4129e42c-bfa6-40f1-9b2a-19dc04136bb4)
2. Communities – When identifying the communities by ID number and name utilize the “Geolocated placenames in Canada”, which is available on open data https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/fe945388-1dd9-4a4a-9a1e-5c552579a28c. Alternatively, if the community is not listed in the above product, you may provide the community’s name, latitude and longitude, and an indication that it is not listed.
3. Major roads - When identifying major roads utilize the Statistics Canada Road Network File, 2017. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-500-X https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/geo/RNF-FRR/index-j-eng.cfm?year=17.
4. Medium and large population centres – When identifying communities with less than 30,000 and more than 1, 000 in population, utilize Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census data at https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/index-eng.cfm to ensure that the community does not exceed 30,000 population (i.e. is not a medium or large urban population centre as defined in https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/ref/dict/geo049a-eng.cfm ).  Note that communities with a population below 1,000 are also eligible to be included in the transport map and associated.

Date de modification :

2018-11-22