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

Gatineau, 13 August 2025

Reference(s): 8695-R28-202503094

BY EMAIL

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

Subject: Application regarding TSP’s contributions to the National Contribution Fund with respect to the Broadband Fund

Dear Julia Kennedy,

On 4 June 2025, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Rogers) filed an application requesting that the Commission direct the Central Fund Administrator (CFA) to suspend requests for new contributions that support the Broadband Fund while instead drawing down contributors’ uncalled funds or alternatively that the Commission allow contributors to release half of their respective uncalled contributions. Rogers is also requesting that the Commission direct the CFA to modify its annual contribution requirements to better align its collections with disbursements going forward to keep contributors’ uncalled liabilities from increasing.

Commission staff has reviewed the application and has concluded that further inquiry is necessary. As per the Telecommunications Act (the Act) and the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure, the Commission may require the submission of information as necessary for the administration of the Act.

Accordingly, staff is seeking input from the Canadian Telecommunications Contribution Consortium Inc. (CTCC) and the Central Fund Administrator (CFA) to determine if the proposed application by Rogers is administratively viable.

As such, we request the following information:

1. Please confirm if it is administratively feasible for the CFA to either:
   1. release a portion of telecommunication service providers (TSPs) uncalled contributions
      • Or
   2. draw down TSPs uncalled funds while suspending requests for new contributions.
2. Please advise whether there are any administrative barriers or considerations that would prevent or impede the CFA from releasing half of the uncalled contributions
   1. Explain the steps required to release a portion of uncalled contributions and provide an estimate of how long the implementation would take. 
3. Please detail all information that the CTCC and the CFA would require from the Commission if Rogers proposal to either release a portion TSPs uncalled contributions or draw down TSPs uncalled funds while suspending requests for new contribution were to be approved.
4. Please provide any other information the CTCC or the CFA believes that the Commission should consider pertaining to this application by Rogers.

Please provide your responses to this request for information by 22 August 2025 or advise the Commission in writing beforehand if there is a valid reason this information cannot be provided by that time.

Interested persons and parties may submit interventions on the responses to the request for information to the Commission, copying those in the distribution list, by 28 August 2025. The applicant may submit its reply to the new interventions to the Commission, copying those in the distribution list by 2 September 2025.

Please let me know if you have any questions or require clarification on any of the above request.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Michael Bergeron
Senior Manager, Broadband Fund
Telecommunications

C.c.:       Howard Slawner, Rogers Communications Inc., regulatory@rci.rogers.com
Jonathan Homes, Independent Telecommunications Providers Association, regulatory@itpa.ca
Dennis Béland, Terrestar Solutions Inc., dennis.beland@terrestar.ca
Karen Cheung, TELUS Communications Inc., regulatory.affairs@telus.com
Tahira Dawood, The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), joined by Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), tdawood@piac.ca
Philippe Gauvin, Bell Canada, bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Marielle Wilson, Bragg Communications Inc., regulatory.matters@corp.eastlink.ca
Patrick Desy, Quebecor Media Inc., regaffairs@quebecor.com

Date modified:

2025-08-13