Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Julia Kennedy (Canadian Telecommunications Contribution Consortium Inc.)

Ottawa-Gatineau, 23 January 2025

Our reference: 1011-NOC2025-0010

BY EMAIL

Julia Kennedy
Secretary
Canadian Telecommunications Contribution Consortium Inc.
1300-55 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L5
jkennedy@fasken.com

Subject: Implementing a retail Internet service subsidy in the Far North, Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-10, Requests for information – 23 January 2025

Dear Julia Kennedy:

This letter sets out a request for information related to the proceeding initiated in Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-10, to implement a retail Internet subsidy in the Far North.

The Commission seeks to distribute subsidy funds as quickly as possible once determinations are made in Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-10, so that subscribers in the Far North can experience affordability relief for their retail Internet services. To this end, Commission staff would like to gather information on matters related to the administration and accounting functions of the subsidy funds through the National Contribution Fund (NCF) and where efficiencies could be achieved.

The following questions are directed to the Canadian Telecommunications Contribution Consortium (CTCC) and the Central Fund Administrator (CFA).

1. In the event that the Commission confirms its preliminary view that the CTCC and the existing CFA will be the administrators of the subsidy in the Far North, please indicate, with justification, how quickly you could make the necessary updates to distribute the funds to Internet service providers (ISPs) operating in the Far North. The response should include:
   1. A list of all updates required, including but not limited to agreements between the CFA and eligible recipients and the roles and procedures of the NCF, to allow for the collection and distribution of subsidy funds. Please specify the approval process required for each update.
   2. The information that the CTCC and the CFA would need from the Commission to make the updates listed above;
   3. The shortest possible timeline to complete these updates and to submit them to the Commission for approval, where needed;
   4. Any necessary next steps to be taken by the CTCC and/or the CFA once updates have been completed, and their associated timeline. This could include, but is not limited to, the collection of subscriber data from ISPs in the Far North and other information required for the distribution of subsidy funds; and,
   5. Any additional information or elements that could assist in expediting this process.

Responses to the requests for information are to be filed with the Commission by 6 February 2025.

Confidential information

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, parties may designate certain information as confidential.

A party designating information as confidential must provide a detailed explanation of 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 party 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.

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.: Josiane Lord, CRTC, josiane.lord@crtc.gc.ca
Sarah McMaster, CRTC, Sarah.McMaster@crtc.gc.ca
Hayley Meulenbroeks, CRTC, Hayley.Meulenbroeks@crtc.gc.ca
Loïc Yves Abena Fouda, CRTC, LoicYves.AbenaFouda@crtc.gc.ca
Bella Chu, CRTC, Bella.Chu@crtc.gc.ca
Kim Nadeau, Central Fund Administrator, knadeau@cfawelchllp.com

Date modified:

2025-01-23