Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution list
Ottawa, 12 September 2023
Reference(s): 1011-NOC2022-0147
BY E-MAIL
Distribution list
RE: Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-147 Call for comments – Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II (TNC 2022-147) – Procedural Request – Extension of deadline to respond to request for information issued 25 August 2023
On 25 August 2023, a request for information (the RFI) was issued to various entities in the context of the proceeding initiated by TNC 2022-147. The deadline to file responses to the RFI was 6 October 2023. It was requested that parties advise of any anticipated inability to meet the deadline by 8 September 2023.
On 5 September 2023, the Commission received a letter filed by Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) to advise that as a result of the extraordinary circumstances currently affecting the Northwest Territories, including multiple wildfires, evacuations, and damaged telecom infrastructure, it anticipated being unable to meet the RFI deadline. Northwestel noted that it has prioritized the repair of its damaged telecom infrastructure, since communications are vital to public safety initiatives. Further, many of Northwestel’s managerial and technical resources who would normally be involved with responding to the August RFIs have been assigned to efforts to mitigate the wildfires natural disaster. Northwestel also noted that the wildfires have had a devastating impact on other stakeholders and First Nations communities participating in this proceeding.
Northwestel requested that the deadline to file responses to the RFI be modified, for all RFI respondents, to a date that is “at least six weeks following the end of the mandatory emergency order (the Emergency Order) issued by the Government of the Northwest Territories for the Yellowknife Area.” Footnote1 Northwestel noted that as of the date of its letter, the Emergency Order was scheduled to be in place until 11 September 2023, and so the revised RFI deadline could be as early as 23 October 2023.
On 6 September 2023, the Commission received a letter from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, which stated that they “are highly sympathetic to the challenges faced by Northwestel in light of the wildfires in the NWT and support the procedural request as stated”.
On 7 September 2023, the Commission received two letters: one from the First Mile Connectivity Consortium, and the other from Telus. Both indicated support for the procedural request made by Northwestel.
On 8 September 2023, the Commission received two more letters in support of Northwestel’s request for an extension to the RFI deadline: one from the Competitive Network Operators of Canada, and the other from Eeyou Communications Networks.
Commission staff is deeply sympathetic to those who have been impacted by the wildfires, and notes that Northwestel’s staff that would have been involved in responding to RFIs have been assigned to helping with Northwestel’s response. While this proceeding raises important issues for Canadians living in the Far North and must progress in a timely manner, Commission staff considers that an extension until 23 October 2023 is appropriate given these extraordinary circumstances.
Accordingly, the deadline to provide responses to the RFI is extended to 23 October 2023.
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
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
Sarah McMaster, CRTC, sarah.mcmaster@crtc.gc.ca
Distribution List :
Canadian Internet Registration Authority: Georgia.Evans@cira.ca
Competitive Network Operators of Canada: regulatory@cnoc.ca
regulatory@tacitlaw.com
Council of Yukon First Nations: Peter.Turner@cyfn.net
Daniel Sokolov: daniel@falco.ca
Dominion Gold Resources: dean@dominiongold.ca
Eeyou Communications Network and James Bay Cree Communications Society:
c.melancon@eeyou.ca
First Mile Connectivity Consortium: info@firstmile.ca
First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun: lisa@badenhorst.ca adrienne.hill@nndfn.com
G & V Global Developments: gvdevnt@gmail.com
Galaxy Broadband Communications, Inc.: lindsay@galaxybroadband.ca
rick@galaxybroadband.ca
Government of the Northwest Territories: telecom_reg@gov.nt.ca
Government of Yukon: sean.mcleish@yukon.ca
Hamlet of Resolute Bay: cedo@resolute.ca
Inuknet: jfbouchard@qcorp.ca lindsay@galaxybroadband.ca rick@galaxybroadband.ca
Iristel Inc.: regulatory@iristel.com regulatory@tacitlaw.com
IRP Consulting: tosh@irpotential.com
Kluane First Nation: lisa@badenhorst.ca
Kwanlin Dün First Nation: David.Burke@kdfn.net
Lorraine Rousseau: RousseLo@psac-afpc.com
National Indigenous Economic Development Board: erin.downey@sac-isc.gc.ca
daniel.hughes@sac-isc.gc.ca
New North Networks: tom@newnorth.ca
Northern Rockies Electric: schildknechtm@hotmail.com
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality: lthompson@northernrockies.ca
rblain@northernrockies.ca
Northwestel Inc.: regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca forward to Yukon First Nations Telco LP
Nukik Corporation: aaudouin@nukik.ca
OneWeb Technologies Inc.: joe.uglialoro@onewebtechnologies.net
Panarctic Communications Inc.: jfbouchard@qcorp.ca
Public Interest Advocacy Centre: jlawford@piac.ca
Rob Hopkins: media@openbroadcaster.com ,
Shadhäla Äshèyi yè Kwädän (Champagne and Aishihik First Nations): tbuzzell@cafn.ca
SpaceX Canada Corp.: cassandra.heyne@spacex.com
SSi Canada: regulatory@ssicanada.com
Taku River Tlingit First Nation: capital@gov.trtfn.com
cherish.clarke@digitalenginetech.com
TELUS Communications Inc.: regulatory.affairs@telus.com
Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Government: aaron.woroniuk@trondek.ca
Xplore Inc.: kelly.michalak@xplore.ca
Yukon First Nations Telco LP
Yukon Utilities Consumers' Group: rrondeau@northwestel.net
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