Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution List
Ottawa, 24 April 2024
Reference(s): 1011-NOC2023-0089
BY EMAIL
Distribution List
Subject: Broadband Fund policy review, Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-89, Revised Phase 1 process
On 23 March 2023, the Commission issued Telecom Notice of Consultation 2023-89, Broadband Fund policy review (the Policy Review), inviting interested parties to provide comment and assist in improving the Commission’s Broadband Fund. The record of Phase 1 of the Policy Review was set to close on 9 April 2024.
However, the Commission received three interventions from new entities to the proceeding: the Tłı̨chǫ Government, the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the Kativik Regional Government.
Commission staff recognizes the importance of ensuring that there is a diversity of perspectives on the issues raised in this proceeding. Indigenous voices are crucial to the Commission’s deliberations on how to improve the Broadband Fund, particularly when the policy outcomes of this proceeding will affect Indigenous applicants and Indigenous communities who may be served by projects receiving funding from the program.
Accordingly, Commission staff considers that it would be in the public interest to accept the interventions from the Tłı̨chǫ Government, the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the Kativik Regional Government. Further, out of fairness to parties to the proceeding, Commission staff considers that further process should be added to Phase 1 of the proceeding to allow parties to read and reply to these three new interventions.
In light of the above, the interventions from the Tłı̨chǫ Government, the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, and the Kativik Regional Government are added to the Policy Review proceeding. Further, the deadline for Phase 1 of the proceeding is extended two weeks, to 8 May 2024, to provide parties to the proceeding with the opportunity to read and reply to the three new interventions.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
Julie Cook
Director, Broadband Funding Regime
Telecommunications Sector
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