Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Marielle Wilson (Persona Communications Inc.)
Gatineau, 8 June 2026
Reference: 8180-N7-201603895
BY EMAIL
Marielle Wilson
Vice President, Regulatory
Persona Communications Inc.
Suite 801, 6080 Young Street
Halifax, NS B3K 5M3
regulatory.matters@corp.eastlink.ca
Subject: Intention of North Frontenac Telephone Corporation Limited to enter Persona Communication Inc.’s operating territory as a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in Forest, Aberarder, and Arkona, Ontario
Dear Marielle Wilson:
The Commission received a letter dated 27 March 2026, from Persona Communications Inc. (Persona), carrying on business as Eastlink, following an expression of interest by the North Frontenac Telephone Corporation Limited (NFTC)Footnote 1 to provide competitive local services in the exchanges of Forest, Aberarder, and Arkona, Ontario.
Persona submitted that, under its former name People’s Tel Limited Partnership (People’s), it previously introduced local competition in the above-noted exchanges. People’s received Commission approval for the implementation plan for local competition in the Forest and Arkona exchanges in Telecom Decision CRTC 2008-93, and in the Aberarder exchange in Telecom Decision CRTC 2021-117.
The Commission approved Bragg Communications Incorporated, carrying on business as Eastlink, Tariff Notices 9 and 9A, which introduced the Persona General Tariff CRTC 21281 (approved in Telecom Order CRTC 2022-269). Eastlink carries on the services offered under the People’s regions.
Persona further submitted that, as outlined in its General Tariff Section 1300, the former People’s exchanges of Forest, Aberarder, and Arkona are served by a single local interconnection region with a point of interconnection in Forest, Ontario. Persona confirmed that there are no other implementation issues to address in order to implement local competition in these exchanges. Persona added that minor changes will be made to the existing special Master Agreement for Local Interconnection (MALI) between it and NFTC, specifically to the Schedule C, to reflect the use of Fibernetics Corporation as the underlying carrier in these exchanges.
In a letter dated 1 May 2026, NFTC indicated that it had completed the requirements to enter as a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in the above-noted Ontario exchanges. NFTC submitted that it will operate as a Type 3 CLEC, that the Schedule C of the MALI between NFTC and Persona was filed with the Commission, and that it intends to enter into the exchanges as of 21 May 2026.
Since Persona has acknowledged NFTC’s intent to enter the Forest, Aberarder, and Arkona, Ontario exchanges as a CLEC and no further implementation issues are outstanding, Commission staff considers that NFTC can offer its services in the above-noted exchanges. Commission staff notes that the notification requirements for CLECs can be found in Telecom Decision CRTC 2012-396.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
Suneil Kanjeekal
Director, Dispute Resolution and Regulatory Implementation
Telecommunications Sector
c.c.: Tara Levine, Senior Analyst, CRTC, 819-997-4478, Tara.Levine@crtc.gc.ca christine.brock@crtc.gc.ca
Mélanie Poirier, Analyst, CRTC, Melanie.Poirier@crtc.gc.ca
Sam Maclin, NFTC, regulatory@nftctelecom.ca
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