Telecom - Commission Letter addressed to Imran Khan (Northwestel Inc.)

Ottawa, 22 August 2022

Our reference: 1011-NOC2022-0147

BY EMAIL

Imran Khan
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel)
10th Floor, 5201 Franklin Ave #100
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, X1A 2P1
regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca

Subject: Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II, NoC 2022-147, Request for information #2 – Northwestel’s operating territory

Imran Khan:

This letter sets out the second set of requests for information (RFIs) in Phase II of the Telecommunications in the Far North proceeding.

Your responses to the questions in this letter are due by 2 September 2022.

Context

On 8 June 2022, the Commission published NoC 2022-147, Telecommunications in the Far
North, Phase II (the Notice). In paragraph 121 of the Notice, the Commission stated that it would issue RFIs to telecommunications service providers (TSPs) by 15 June 2022. On 15 June 2022, the first set of RFIs related to the Notice were published.

Appendix 1 to this letter sets out questions for Northwestel only. It seeks clarification on Northwestel’s responses to certain RFIs issued on 15 June 2022. It addresses:

• Northwestel’s operating territory

Confidential information

As set out in section 39 of the Telecommunications Act and in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, parties may designate certain information as confidential. A party designating information as confidential must provide a detailed explanation on why the designated information is confidential and why its disclosure would not be in the public interest, including why the specific direct harm that would be likely to result from the disclosure would outweigh the public interest in disclosure. Furthermore, a party designating information as confidential must either file an abridged version of the document omitting only the information designated as confidential or provide reasons why an abridged version cannot be filed.

Accessible formats for people with disabilities

The CRTC requires regulated entities and encourages all parties to file submissions in accessible formats (for example, text-based file formats that enable text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers) for this proceeding. To provide assistance in this regard, the CRTC has posted on its website guidelines for preparing documents in accessible formats. In the event where submitted documents have not been filed in accessible formats, interested parties may contact the Public Hearings group to request that CRTC staff obtain those documents in accessible formats from the party who originally submitted the documents in question in an inaccessible format.

A copy of this letter will be placed on the public record of this proceeding.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Lisanne Legros
Director, Telecommunications Networks Policy
Telecommunication Sector

c. c. Nicolas Gatto, CRTC, nicolas.gatto@crtc.gc.ca
Celia Millay, CRTC, celia.millay@crtc.gc.ca
Simon Wozny, CRTC, simon.wozny@crtc.gc.ca
Iva Jurisic, CRTC, iva.jurisic@crtc.gc.ca
Rebecca Hume, CRTC, rebecca.hume@crtc.gc.ca

Attach. (1)

APPENDIX 1

1. NORTHWESTEL’S OPERATING TERRITORY

Context

On 15 June 2022, the first round of RFIs were issued (the 15 June letter).

On 29 June 2022, Northwestel responded to certain RFIs in the 15 June letter (Northwestel’s 29 June response).

Where Northwestel operates, but not as an ILEC

1.1 In its 29 June response to questions 6.1.a and c, Northwestel stated that:

• “Atlin BC is not part of our serving area,”^Footnote1
• “Atlin, BC is not one of the communities that we serve as the ILEC,”^Footnote2 and
• “we provide forborne services in Atlin, BC as a non-dominant Interexchange carrier.”

Staff notes that:

• The overarching purpose of the Notice is to consider what actions the Commission should take to improve telecommunications services in communities in the Far North. For the purposes of the proceeding, the Far North was defined as Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, 17 communities in northern British Columbia, and Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta.
• As further indicated in the Notice, Northwestel provides retail services, such as local exchange services and Internet access services, and wholesale services, including transport services, to competitors. Given that the proceeding is broadly looking at telecommunications services provided by Northwestel, following Northwestel’s 29 June response, Commission staff has additional questions stemming from what appears to be Northwestel identifying its operating territory/serving area as where it operates as an ILEC. Additional clarity is required with respect to where Northwestel operates and provides telecommunications services, particularly in communities where it is not the ILEC.

In light of the above, provide the following information:

1. List any communities where Northwestel provides telecommunications services but not as an ILEC. This includes, but is not limited to, where Northwestel operates (a) as a non-dominant Interexchange carrier and/or (b) outside of its “traditional ILEC serving area.”
2. Northwestel indicated that it provides certain telecommunications services in Atlin, BC, but submitted that Atlin was outside of its serving area. Please explain the apparent discrepancy (i.e. How can a region where Northwestel provides telecommunications services be outside of its serving area?).
3. For added clarity, list and explain the telecommunications services that Northwestel offers or provides in Atlin, and any other communities identified in a), above, to:
   • Retail customers (For retail customers, provide a breakdown by residential/individual, small business, and other customers of business or enterprise services); and,
   • Wholesale customers.

Date modified:

2022-08-22