Consultation about telecommunications services in Northern Canada
Current status: Closed
The first phase of the consultation ran from November 2, 2020 to January 20, 2021.
See the “What we heard” section for summaries of the discussions that took place.
We sought input from Canadians about their Internet, wireless and telephone services in Canada’s North. We wanted to know more about how the telecommunications needs of Canadians living in the areas served by Northwestel are being met to ensure that all Canadians have access to high-quality telecommunication services.
The information collected during the consultation will help us better understand the current issues and challenges related to telecommunications services in Canada’s North. It will also help us update the rules to ensure that services are available at affordable rates, now and for years to come.
Next Steps
We intend to conduct our review in two phases. During the first phase, we invited Canadians to share their views on their telecommunications services in the North, particularly those offered by Northwestel. We will review the comments we received, as well as the report of the public opinion research, and identify the main issues to be considered in the second phase of the review.
Stay tuned for more details.
Key topics for discussion
We want to better understand the state of Internet, wireless and telephone services in Canada’s North, and determine whether more needs to be done to ensure Canadians living there have access to high-quality services at reasonable rates. More specifically, we sought input on:
- the affordability of telecommunications services for residents and businesses in the North
- the quality of telecommunications services, including internet speeds, mobile coverage and service reliability, and
- how the CRTC may foster more competition in the North.
Learn more about the topics for discussion set out in the Notice of Consultation.
What we heard
- Interventions (comments we received online, by mail and by fax)
- Northern telecommunications services public opinion research report
Related information
- Broadband Fund – Closing the digital divide in Canada
- CRTC Broadband Fund selected projects
- Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2018-213 - Phase-out of the local service subsidy regime
- Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2013-711 - Northwestel Inc. – Regulatory Framework, Modernization Plan, and related matters
Contact us
Secretary General
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 0N2
Fax
Telephone
(819) 997-0313
Toll-free 1 (877) 249-CRTC (2782)
TTY (819) 994-0423
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