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Telecom Commission Letter addressed to Stan Thompson (Northwestel Inc.)


Ottawa, 27 November 2020

Our reference: 1011-NOC2020-0367

BY EMAIL

Mr. Stan Thompson
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
Northwestel Inc.
P.O. Box 2727
Whitehorse, Yukon 
Y1A 4Y4
regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca

RE:  Review of the Commission’s regulatory framework for Northwestel Inc. and the state of telecommunications services in Canada’s North, Telecom Notice of Consultation 2020-367 – Request for information

Mr. Thompson:

Pursuant to the procedure set out in paragraph 57 of Review of the Commission’s regulatory framework for Northwestel Inc. and the state of telecommunications services in Canada’s North, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2020-367, 2 November 2020, attached is a request for information addressed to Northwestel Inc.

Reponses to this request for information are to be filed with the Commission by 14 January 2021.

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by

Lisanne Legros
Director
Telecommunications Networks Policy

cc:  Suneil Kanjeekal, CRTC, (613) 668-6561, suneil.kanjeekal@crtc.gc.ca;
Nicolas Gatto, CRTC, (873) 353-9280, nicolas.gatto@crtc.gc.ca

Note: In the attached Excel file, provide information associated with questions 1.2 to 2.4, 3.1, and 3.3.

  1. Operating Territory, and Access & Transport Facilities
    1. 1.1 Provide a map to fully illustrate the communities served by Northwestel, and the location of existing transport routes and backbone diversity within the company’s operating territory, as well as existing transport routes used to carry traffic beyond Northwestel’s operating territory. Include information for all routes owned and operated, leased, or otherwise managed by Northwestel, and those of competitors from whom the company purchases capacity to provide its services. In addition, identify the technology used, and the current capacity of each route. Identify the name of each community and clearly indicate which of those are solely dependent on satellite transport capacity.
    2. 1.2 Using sheet “QUESTION 1.2:”
      1. Provide a table listing all communities in Northwestel’s operating territory. Any communities not included in the sheet herein must be added to the list. The full list of communities must be used in subsequent questions below.
      2. Provide the access and mobile facilities/technologies used to offer telecommunications services in communities served by Northwestel, and the primary and backup transport facilities connecting those communities.
      3. Provide annual average wireline voice, Internet, and mobile wireless service outage time (minutes per month) for each of the last five years (2015-2019) and only for outages affecting five or more households, and average time to restore service (minutes) for each of the last five years (2015-2019) and only for outages affecting five or more households.
      4. Describe any network improvements planned for the next five years and how such improvements will impact telecommunications services for residents and businesses; indicate where improvements are supported by the CRTC Broadband Fund or other government funding (specify the funding).
  2. Competition and Wholesale Services
    1. 2.1 Using sheet “QUESTION 2.1,” provide a table listing each Internet service provider that Northwestel is aware of, currently offering fixed Internet access services for each community in Northwestel’s operating territory.
    2. 2.2 Using sheet “QUESTION 2.2,” provide a table listing each service provider that Northwestel is aware of, currently offering mobile wireless service for each community in Northwestel’s operating territory. Include all flanker brands or affiliates, and a legend indicating affiliation.
    3. 2.3 Using sheet “QUESTION 2.3,” provide a table detailing the providers using the Wholesale Connect service at each community where the Wholesale Connect service is available. Provide the associated revenues derived by Northwestel from the Wholesale Connect service for each community.
      1. Does Northwestel provide the Wholesale Connect service to customers pursuant to off-tariff agreements? If so, list those customers, and submit those agreements as separate attachments.
    4. 2.4 Using sheet “QUESTION 2.4(a),” provide a table listing the wholesale telecommunications services provided by Northwestel in each community the company serves. Indicate which of these communities are solely served by satellite transport facilities. Include any services that are provided pursuant to off-tariff agreements. Provide the associated revenues derived by Northwestel from these services for each community.
      • Using sheet “QUESTION 2.4(b),” provide a table listing either the tariff number or forbearance decision pursuant to which each service identified in sheet “QUESTION 2.4(a)” is offered. Indicate whether a service is provided pursuant to an off-tariff agreement, and submit those agreements as separate attachments.
    5. 2.5 Discuss Northwestel’s plans to expand the availability of existing wholesale services or offer new wholesale services, as a result of anticipated network upgrades, or any other matter.
  3. Services, Subscribers, and Revenues
    1. 3.1 Using sheet “QUESTION 3.1(a),” provide a table listing Northwestel’s existing retail telecommunications services (e.g. wireline telephone service, DSL Internet, Cable Internet, Fibre Internet, mobile wireless voice service, etc.) available for each community it serves.
      • Using sheet “QUESTION 3.1(b),” provide a table listing either the tariff number or forbearance decision pursuant to which each service identified in sheet “QUESTION 3.1(a)” is offered. Indicate whether each service is a residential or business service.
    2. 3.2 Provide a table listing the new or improved retail telecommunications services that Northwestel expects will be available in the coming years, until 2025, for each community served by Northwestel; this may include the offering of faster Internet speeds or of unlimited data options, for example. Indicate the year in which Northwestel anticipates each service will become available.
    3. 3.3 Using sheet “QUESTION 3.3,” provide subscriber numbers, by community, for the following business lines:
      1. Residential wireline telephone service (i.e. Residential NAS);
      2. Number of residential customers that subscribe to only wireline telephone service (i.e. standalone wireline telephone subscribers).
      3. Business wireline telephone service (i.e. Business NAS);
      4. Residential Internet access service, by speed;
      5. Business Internet access service;
      6. Mobile wireless services (pre-paid and post-paid).
    4. 3.4 Provide the total revenues for each service basket and for uncapped services under the current price cap framework for each of the years 2014 to 2019.
    5. 3.5 Provide income statements for each of the years 2014 to 2019.
    6. 3.6 Provide all plans for residential and business satellite Internet access services offered in communities where those services are provided via satellite transport through a community aggregator model. See footnote 11, Telecom Notice of Consultation 2020-367.
  4. Mobile Wireless Services
    1. 4.1 For the purposes of the public record of the proceeding, describe and provide details regarding Northwestel’s relationship with Bell Mobility in Northwestel’s operating territory for the purposes of the provision of mobile wireless services. Your response must: a) provide a detailed explanation as to the arrangement(s) between the affiliated companies for the provision of mobile wireless services in Northwestel’s operating territory; and b) indicate whether Northwestel has a business relationship for mobile wireless services with other providers of such services in the company’s operating territory. If so, describe in detail the arrangement(s) between Northwestel and that mobile wireless service provider. Submit any relevant agreements as separate attachments.
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