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Telecom Order CRTC 2026-138

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Reference: 2023-419

Gatineau, 17 June 2026

Public record: 1011-NOC2022-0325

Broadband Fund – Change request – Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s satellite project in northern Ontario – June 2026

Summary

Canadians need reliable, affordable, and high-quality Internet and cellphone services for every part of their daily lives.

Through its Broadband Fund, the Commission contributes to a broad effort by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to address the gap in connectivity in underserved rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada.

With this order, the Commission approves Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s request to submit claims for reimbursement outside its regular quarterly submission schedule, as frequently as monthly, for its satellite project in northern Ontario.

Background

  1. In Telecom Regulatory Policy 2018-377, the Commission set out objectives and governing frameworks for the Broadband Fund. In the Application Guide appended to Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-325, which initiated the third call for Broadband Fund applications, the Commission defined a material change as including a change in the proposed financing of a project.Footnote 1
  2. Keewaytinook Okimakanak participated in the third call for Broadband Fund applications. In Telecom Decision 2023-419, Keewaytinook Okimakanak received funding approval for its proposed project. The approved application supported increasing satellite transport capacity in two Indigenous communities in northern Ontario (Fort Severn First Nation and Peawanuck First Nation), allowing them to maintain their current Internet services until a planned capital project to build fibre broadband infrastructure could be completed.
  3. The Commission later received written acceptance of the funding award from Keewaytinook Okimakanak and approved its related statement of work in Telecom Order 2024-66, subject to the conditions of funding set out in Telecom Decision 2023-419.
  4. Among the conditions of funding is the requirement, set out in paragraph 39(c) of Telecom Decision 2023-419, that any material changes to the project be approved by the Commission. An application for a material change is known as a change request.
  5. In Telecom Order 2025-337, issued on 11 December 2025, the Commission approved a change request from Keewaytinook Okimakanak to modify the project’s completion date and increase funding to $10,641,707, among other things.

Change request

  1. On 17 November 2025, Keewaytinook Okimakanak submitted a second change request. The request sought to file claims for reimbursement, and receive reimbursement, outside its regular quarterly submission schedule, as frequently as monthly.

Commission’s analysis

  1. The Commission has reviewed the documents submitted with the change request, including those treated confidentially.Footnote 2
  2. In Telecom Order 2024-66, the Commission allowed Keewaytinook Okimakanak to file monthly Broadband Fund claims for the first four months to enable Keewaytinook Okimakanak to better manage its cash flow during the early life of the project. In that order, the Commission also indicated that Keewaytinook Okimakanak could request to revert to monthly submissions after the first four months if needed.
  3. The Commission analyzed supporting financial information provided by Keewaytinook Okimakanak in its 17 November 2025 change request. In the Commission’s view, allowing Keewaytinook Okimakanak to submit claims for reimbursement more frequently would facilitate timely coordination of payments. This approach, taken on an exceptional basis, would be appropriate given that Keewaytinook Okimakanak is a non-profit Chiefs Council and has multiple ongoing projects, each with its own payment cycle. The Commission considers that allowing Keewaytinook Okimakanak to submit more frequent claims would create minimal additional administrative burden and would significantly benefit Keewaytinook Okimakanak.
  4. The Commission considers that approving Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s change request would satisfy the objectives identified by the approach set out in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2018-377.

Conclusion

  1. The Commission approves, on an exceptional basis, Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s change request to file Broadband Fund claims for reimbursement outside its regular quarterly submission schedule, as frequently as monthly. All other funding conditions and conditions imposed under section 24 of the Telecommunications Act, as set out in Telecom Decision 2023-419, continue to apply.

Secretary General

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