Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution List
Gatineau, 18 July 2025
Reference: 1011-NOC2025-0010
BY EMAIL
Distribution List
Subject: Implementing a retail Internet service subsidy in the Far North, Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025 10, Request for information-3 and extension of deadline to reply to responses of Request for information-2 and comments received on the CRTC Conversations Report – 18 July 2025
This letter sets out a request for information (RFI) related to the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2025-10 (the Notice), to implement a retail Internet service subsidy in the Far North.
In the Notice, the Commission stated that the subsidy would be funded through the National Contribution Fund (NCF). The Commission also invited comments as to what the monthly subsidy amount should be and stated its interest in balancing the need to meaningfully improve affordability in the Far North with the impact on contributions to the NCF.
Québecor submitted that telecom service providers (TSPs) already contribute significantly to the NCF, and that it would be unreasonable for the Commission to increase these contributions to fund the subsidy in the Far North.Footnote1
Request for information
Commission staff notes the concerns on the record regarding the impact of additional NCF contributions on TSPs who are required to contribute to the fund.Footnote2 To complete the record, Commission staff requests additional evidence and arguments from parties about the financial impact of the subsidy and potential ways to mitigate that impact.
- Comment on the option of having the Commission repurpose a portion of the contributions to the NCF for the Broadband Fund towards the Subsidy in the Far North—with no commensurate increase to the Broadband Fund, currently set at $150 million per year. What proportion of the ongoing annual contributions to the Broadband Fund should be allocated to the Subsidy in the Far North?
- The Canadian Telecommunications Contribution Consortium (CTCC) is the third-party administrator of the NCF. Given the impacts this may have on the CTCC’s operations, the CTCC is requested to identify how the potential use of future contributions to the NCF for the Broadband Fund to fund the Subsidy in the Far North could impact its operations, including potential administrative complexity and timelines for developing and submitting documents for Commission approval.
Parties are requested to provide comprehensive responses, including rationale and supporting information, to the RFI by 31 July 2025.
In light of this new RFI, staff is extending the deadline to reply to responses to the RFI distributed on 17 June 2025. Parties may file replies to 1) responses to the RFI distributed on 17 June 2025, 2) comments received on the CRTC Conversations Report, and 3) the responses received to this RFI by 8 August 2025.
If parties have already filed replies to responses received for the 17 June 2025 RFI or to comments received on the CRTC Conversations report prior to the issuance of this extension, they may refile or update their replies.
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.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (Lisanne.Legros@crtc.gc.ca), or the Commission's Indigenous Relations Team at era-irt@crtc.gc.ca.
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
- Date modified: