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Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Patricia D’Souza and Sarah Rogers (Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami)

Ottawa, 21 February 2023

BY E-MAIL

Patricia D’Souza and Sarah Rogers
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
75 Albert St, Suite 1101
Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7

Subject: Seeking input on barriers to participation in Commission proceedings

Inuit voices are crucial to conversations about telecommunications services in the Far North, especially when the outcomes of those conversations will affect Inuit communities. We are writing you today to convey our interest in learning from your lived experiences, perspectives and insights, and how we could facilitate the participation of Inuit Treaty Organizations in the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) proceedings.

The CRTC is seeking to improve Internet and telephone services in communities in the Far North, and has therefore launched Call for comments – Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-147). Please see the consultation’s website for the information that was last shared with you regarding this proceeding.

This proceeding is meant to explore solutions to increase access to educational and economic opportunities in the Far North that rely on affordable, high-quality Internet services. This includes solutions that contribute to the preservation, restoration and dissemination of Indigenous languages and culture by improving access to affordable, reliable, and high-quality Internet services.

On the basis of comments in Phase I of the Far North proceeding, the CRTC included measures in Phase II to enable broader participation. We welcome your views on how our processes could be further improved, as well as identifying any barriers that continue to hinder participation Footnote1 . We welcome all input that you may want to share. In addition, we present the following questions for your consideration to begin the conversation.  

  1. Language of consultation: Would it help for the CRTC to provide more than a summary of the Notice of Consultation (e.g., questions, glossary of key terms) in dialects or subdialects of Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun?
  2. Language of submissions: Would you prefer to submit your comments in dialects or subdialects of Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun, which would then be shared on the proceeding’s public record, as well as translated by the CRTC into English and French?
  3. Means of submission: Would you prefer to provide comments on the proceeding by email (i.e., reply to the proceeding questions that apply to you and your community)?
  4. Oral comments: Would you prefer to submit your comments as an audio or video file, rather than in written form?
  5. Public Hearing: Would you be interested in appearing at the Telecom North public hearing in Whitehorse, April 17-21, 2023, either in-person or remotely? Would holding a public hearing in Inuit territory facilitate your participation?
  6. Applying for costs: CRTC processes may allow for expenses related to participation in CRTC telecommunications proceedings to be reimbursed. Would it help for the CRTC to provide this information in dialects or subdialects of Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun?
  7. Would you like to discuss these questions, the barriers to participation, or your input further? If so, what means of communication do you prefer?

Thank you for considering assisting us in this matter. We would greatly appreciate if you would signal your intent to participate in this discussion as soon as possible, by email, phone, or letter.

Please note, we will be also mailing you a physical copy of this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by

Matthew Tošaj
Senior Manager, Strategic Research & Outreach, Telecommunications
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Matthew.Tosaj@crtc.gc.ca
Tel: 613-878-6887

cc:       Sylvie Labbé, CRTC, Sylvie.Labbe@crtc.gc.ca
Anastasia Gould, CRTC, Anastasia.Gould@crtc.gc.ca

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