Telecom - Secretary General Letter addressed to the Distribution list
Ottawa, 22 December 2023
Our reference: 1011-NOC2023-0056
By EMAIL
Distribution list
Subject: Review of the wholesale high-speed access service framework
The Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing in connection with the above-noted proceeding commencing on Monday, 12 February 2024 at the Conference Centre, Phase IV, 140 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec.
The purpose of this letter is to provide participants with information on the organization and conduct of the public hearing.
The public hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on Monday, 12 February 2024 and is expected to last no more than 5 days.
The order and estimated date of appearance of parties making an oral presentation at the hearing are set out in the attached document (Agenda). The Commission will not amend the order of appearance, barring exceptional circumstances.
An audio and video feed of the hearing will be made available on the Commission’s website (www.crtc.gc.ca) for the duration of the hearing. Furthermore, simultaneous translation will be available on the Commission’s website throughout the hearing.
Information regarding your appearance before the Commission
Your allotted presentation time is indicated in the email accompanying this letter.
Participants may use the time allotted to them in order to discuss any aspect of their previously filed submissions or respond to any aspect of the written submissions made by other parties to this proceeding.
The record of the proceeding shows that competition in the Internet services market is declining. This decline, coupled with recent acquisitions of competitors, has left many Canadians with fewer options for high-speed Internet services. Accordingly, parties are advised that the Commission wishes to focus on how to ensure that all Canadians benefit from a wide range of affordable Internet choices as quickly as possible, while ensuring continued investment in high-quality networks. The Commission also wishes to provide market and regulatory certainty with respect to its wholesale high-speed access (HSA) framework. This includes considering whether to mandate aggregated wholesale HSA services over fibre-to the-premise facilities, and if so, who should provide and have access to those services and whether any other limitations should be applied. Parties are therefore encouraged to structure their presentations accordingly.
Presentations may be followed by questions from the Commission members and legal counsel where appropriate.
Pursuant to section 41 of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedures, only evidence in support of statements already on the record is admissible at the public hearing. If you wish to file new evidence, you must request permission to do so from the Commission by filing a procedural request to that effect. You may also request this permission from the Panel at the hearing, ensuring you provide notice to the Hearing Secretary of the intent to do so.
Guidelines for your appearance
Please confirm that you still wish to appear at the hearing and, if so, whether you wish to appear in person at the Conference Centre, Phase IV, 140 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec or remotely via the Zoom application.
If you appear in-person
You must provide the following information, by e-mail to hearing@crtc.gc.ca, by no later than Friday, 12 January 2024:
- The name and title of any representative (if applicable) who will appear at the hearing;
- Your full name, cell phone number and email address, as well as the same information for any representative who will appear with you at the hearing. This information will enable us to contact you immediately before or during the hearing to obtain information or advise you of matters related to the hearing, if necessary;
- You must confirm whether you will present in English or in French, and/or if you will communicate in a manner that requires use of interpretive aids;
- You must send your oral presentation as well as any other presentation materials such as tables, etc., which you intend to use, in an accessible format (for example, text-based file formats that enable text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers), at least three (3) days before your presentation to hearing@crtc.gc.ca; and
- Participants must confirm if they will make use of audio-visual aids during their presentations. A copy of your audio‑visual presentation(s) must be submitted at least three (3) days before your presentation to hearing@crtc.gc.ca (the length of your audio-visual presentation(s) must be included in your allotted time).
If you appear remotely
You must provide the following information, by e-mail to hearing@crtc.gc.ca, by no later than Friday, 12 January 2024:
- The name and title of any representative (if applicable) who will appear at the hearing;
- Confirm the number of individual Zoom connections you will need for your appearance with the names, titles, cell phone numbers and email addresses of any representative requiring a Zoom connection. This information will enable us to contact you immediately before or during the hearing to obtain information or advise you of matters related to the hearing, if necessary;
- You must confirm whether you will present in English or in French, and/or if you will communicate in a manner that requires use of interpretive aids;
- You must send your oral presentation as well as any other presentation materials such as tables, etc., which you intend to use, in accessible format (for example, text-based file formats that enable text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers) at least three (3) days before your presentation to hearing@crtc.gc.ca; and
- Participants must confirm if they will make use of audio-visual aids during their presentations. A copy of your audio‑visual presentation(s) must be submitted at least the least three (3) days before your presentation to hearing@crtc.gc.ca (the length of your audio-visual presentation(s) must be included in your allotted time).
Important information about appearing remotely
- All participants are required to use a headset with an integrated boom microphone or a table-top microphone for their remarks to be interpreted. This equipment is mandatory to appear remotely and helps ensure that the sound quality is sufficient for interpretation;
- A technician will be in contact with you to test the online connection system before your appearance;
- If possible, it is recommended to use a wired connection rather than a Wi-Fi connection. You are responsible for having the necessary computer equipment and Internet connection required to participate in this public hearing;
- Always identify yourself when speaking, speak slowly and maintain eye contact with the camera;
- Mute the audio line when you are not speaking; and
- The use of the written communication feature of the application (chat) is not permitted during the public hearing and, should you use it, the information contained therein will not form part of the public record of the proceeding and will not be considered by the Commission in making its determinations.
Accessibility
Participants requiring communications support during their presentation at the hearing, such as assistive listening devices and sign language interpretation, or any other accessibility related measure relating to that person’s presentation at the hearing are requested to confirm with Sonia Gravelle, Hearing Secretary, by e-mail at sonia.gravelle@crtc.gc.ca (Telephone: 819-994-2263) by no later than Friday, 12 January 2024 so that the necessary arrangements can be made.
Participants receiving accessibility measures are not responsible for monitoring the progress of the hearing. The Hearing Secretary will inform such participants of the approximate time of their presentation and will ensure that their place on the Agenda does not change. The Hearing Secretary will also assist the participants as required and will make sure that the approved accessibility measures are in place to ensure their meaningful participation during their oral presentations.
Should you have any questions pertaining to the accessibility of the hearing venue at the Conference Centre, Phase IV, 140 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec, please contact Nancy Poulin by email: Nancy.Poulin2@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca or by phone: 343-549-3266.
Further information
- The transcript of each day will be available on the Commission’s website the following business day; and
- Please note that the order of appearance for the public hearing will be available on the Commission’s website, at 8 pm EST today, at the following address (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/telecom/eng/hearings/2024/ag12_02.htm) and will be updated, if necessary, prior to the hearing.
In the event that you experience any technical difficulties or problems on the day of the hearing, you may contact the Hearing Officer Maria Aguilar at 343-598-0736 or by e-mail at maria.aguilar@crtc.gc.ca.
Participants are responsible for monitoring the progress of the hearing for any direction that the Commission may give regarding the conduct of the hearing. Participants should be prepared to make their presentations on the day scheduled or, if necessary, the day before or after their scheduled appearance date depending on the progress of the hearing. As noted above, this does not apply to participants receiving accessibility measures.
As is the case for all our public hearings, please note that the media may cover the event.
If you have any concerns regarding the order of appearance, please contact Sonia Gravelle, Hearing Secretary, by e-mail at sonia.gravelle@crtc.gc.ca (Telephone: 819-994-2263).
Sincerely,
Original Signed by
Marc Morin
Secretary General
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