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

Ottawa, 27 February 2023

Our reference: 1011-NOC2022-0147, 8000-N1-202204923

BY EMAIL

Imran Khan
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel)
3rd Floor, 301 Lambert Street
Whitehorse, Yukon - Y1A 4Y4
regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca

Subject: Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II, Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-147, End of Northwestel’s updates on the Anik F2 satellite

Imran Khan:

On 29 September 2022, via letter from the Secretary General, the Commission denied a procedural request from Northwestel to defer consideration of issues relevant to satellite-dependent communities (SDCs) until an unspecified future date. Northwestel had submitted this request on the basis that Telesat’s Anik F2 satellite had experienced a technical failure.

On 14 November 2022, Commission staff issued a request for information (RFI) to Northwestel. The letter indicated that the purpose of the RFI was “to support the development of a complete and timely record on the Anik F2 satellite issue and its impact on Northwestel’s services in the Far North for the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-147, Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II (TEL 1011-NOC2022-0147).” More specifically, Northwestel was requested to “provide ongoing monthly updates due on the first day of each month on the Anik F2 issue, and how it is impacting Northwestel’s short, medium, and long-term satellite solutions” and “to inform the Commission when a replacement satellite has been positioned in the orbital slot currently occupied by Anik F2 and Northwestel’s services have been successfully migrated to the replacement satellite.” Finally, the letter indicated that “Commission staff will determine when monthly updates are no longer necessary.”

On 1 February 2023, Northwestel filed a monthly update in response to the RFI issued on
14 November 2022. In that response, Northwestel indicated that “Telesat successfully deployed a replacement satellite and traffic has been successfully migrated to that satellite.” Northwestel also indicated that “we are pleased that the situation is resolved, and that customers’ services will remain functional.”

Following the successful deployment of a replacement satellite and the successful migration of Northwestel’s telecommunications traffic, Commission staff considers that no further updates from Northwestel on this matter are required at this time. Accordingly, Northwestel is not required to file any further updates on this matter.

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

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by

Lisanne Legros
Director, Telecommunications Networks Policy
Telecommunications Sector

c.c.:   Nicolas Gatto, CRTC, nicolas.gatto@crtc.gc.ca
Celia Millay, CRTC, celia.millay@crtc.gc.ca
Iva Jurisic, CRTC, iva.jurisic@crtc.gc.ca
Simon Wozny, CRTC, simon.wozny@crtc.gc.ca
Filsan Gure, CRTC, filsan.gure@crtc.gc.ca
Rebecca Hume, CRTC, rebecca.hume@crtc.gc.ca
Karen Soriano Ley, CRTC, karen.sorianoley@crtc.gc.ca

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