Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution List
Ottawa, 26 July 2023
Our reference: TEL 8020-1/23
By E-MAIL
Distribution List
Re: Mandating ISP participation in Measuring Broadband Canada (MBC) Phase 3 Fixed Wireless 50+/10+ – Request for Information
As highlighted in letters dated 28 November 2022 and 31 January 2023, the CRTC in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) launched recruitment of participating wireless internet service providers (WISPs) for the third phase of the Measuring Broadband Canada (MBC) project in winter 2023. This phase is focused specifically on the performance of fixed wireless Internet services with download speeds of 50Mbps or faster as well as 10Mbps upload speeds (50+/10+) provided to Canadian homes.
In order to have a representative sample of fixed wireless subscribers in Canada, CRTC and ISED reached out to WISPs to participate. This participation consists of contacting their subscribers of fixed wireless services offering 50+/10+ speeds and providing them with the subscriber engagement material, so as to find volunteers willing to participate in the study. Information sessions were offered to provide WISPs with more information about the study and its methodology.
The MBC relies on WISPs’ involvement to ensure their subscribers are aware of the opportunity to participate in the study. To date, WISPs’ involvement has been voluntary.
In connection with this third phase of the MBC to date, CRTC staff understands that a number of WISPs voluntarily participated and contacted their subscribers. However, some major Canadian ISPs have yet to agree to participate and contact their subscribers with the provided subscriber engagement material. As a result, CRTC staff is concerned that there may be insufficient subscriber participation on which to base the study. Consequently, CRTC staff is considering bringing this lack of participation to the Commission’s attention and raising options with the Commission to ensure WISPs’ participation going forward.
Consequently, Commission staff seeks comments on:
- the possibility of the Commission imposing regulatory measures to mandate the participation of specific WISPs, or WISPs in general, in the MBC study, for instance by imposing a condition under section 24 of the Telecommunications Act, consistent with section 17. d. of the Order Issuing a Direction to the CRTC on a Renewed Approach to Telecommunications Policy, SOR/2023-23, 10 February 2023. For the purpose of this study, participation consists of a WISP contacting all of its 50+/10+ Fixed Wireless subscribers with subscriber engagement material provided by SamKnows;
- which WISPs should be subject to any regulatory measures to mandate participation;
- reasons, with supporting rationale and evidence, preventing WISPs from participating in the study.
Commission staff wishes to alert the recipients of this request for information that a Notice of Consultation regarding this subject matter may arise in the future and that any response provided could form part of the record of that proceeding. However, there may be no further public process beyond this request for information initiated by the Commission in connection with this subject matter. As a result, this request for information could be your only opportunity to respond to the issues and possible regulatory measures raised in this matter.
If you have any questions pertaining to this letter, please contact Bartek Bober by phone at (819) 230-0725 or by email at: bartek.bober@crtc.gc.ca.
Please file and serve the responses to this request for information no later than Wednesday, 2 August 2023, by 5: 00 p.m., Ottawa time. Interested persons may file and serve comments on the responses posted may be submitted no later than Friday 4 August, 2023 by 5:00 p.m., Ottawa time.
All documents filed must be received, not merely sent, by the date provided.
All related correspondence will be public. 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, persons may designate certain information as confidential. A person designating information as confidential must provide a detailed explanation for 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 person 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. If filing confidential information, the Commission requires the response or other documents to be submitted electronically by using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GCKey) and filling the “Telecom Cover Page” located on the Commission’s website.
Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation in the MBC Phase 3 project.
Sincerely,
Simon Levasseur
Director
Financial and Multiplatform Analysis, Consumer, Research and Communications
CC: Bartek Bober, Manager, Multiplatform Technology, bartek.bober@crtc.gc.ca
Distribution list
Bell Canada, bell.regulatory@bell.ca
CanWISP, executivedirector@canwisp.ca;
CountryWifi, jeff@countrywifi.ca
Ecotel, Eric@ambra.co
Fiberspeed, cosmin@fiberspeed.ca;
IGS Hawkesbury, jbogue@hawkmail.ca
Minto Communications, service@mintocomm.ca
Muskoka Wifi Inc., will@mbwd.ca
Netsolid Inc., belairtech@gmail.com
Québec Internet, ljpaquet@quebecinternet.com
Rogers Communications inc, regulatory@rci.rogers.com
Ruralnet, heiner@ruralnet.ca
Telus, Regulatory.affairs@telus.com
Vianet, regulatory@vianet.ca
Xplore Inc., legal@xplore.ca
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