The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is taking key actions to improve internet services in the North. This follows a lengthy process of public consultation with Northern residents, including a week-long public hearing in Whitehorse, Yukon, with presentations from 23 groups. The CRTC has decided on three main actions to enhance internet services.
First, Northwestel will be required to automatically reduce customers’ bills when internet services are disrupted for more than twenty-four hours. This measure aims to lessen the impact of network outages on customers’ lives. Second, the CRTC intends to make it easier for internet service providers to use Northwestel’s infrastructure to sell their own services.
This move is expected to foster competition and offer more options for northern internet users. Third, the CRTC will initiate a public consultation to create a subsidy aimed at improving the affordability of internet services in the Far North. This subsidy intends to bring the cost of northern internet closer to that in other parts of the country.
The CRTC is accepting comments on this matter until February 18.
Vicky Eatrides, the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the CRTC, said, “Throughout our consultation, we heard about the challenges that residents of the Far North face in accessing internet services and the real impact that has on people’s daily lives, from disruptions in online learning to the inability to access healthcare and emergency services.
The CRTC announced the creation of a monthly internet subsidy on Thursday to assist northern households with the high cost of online services. The decision comes after acknowledging that prices in the North are high, the quality of service is low, and there are limited providers. The subsidy, funded by the National Contribution Fund, will be applied directly to internet bills across all providers, including Northwestel and potentially Starlink.
The definition of the “Far North” for this subsidy includes the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, 19 communities in northern British Columbia, as well as Fort Fitzgerald and High Level in Alberta. A public consultation process had been held via hearings and submissions from over 300 individuals and organizations. The CRTC’s measures aim to address inequalities faced by northerners, many of whom are Indigenous.
CRTC Commissioner Claire Anderson dissented from the decision, arguing that providing a subsidy is not the best solution. She advocated for increased competition and Indigenous ownership of telecommunications networks as means to enhance service quality, create local job opportunities, and advance reconciliation efforts. The CRTC hopes the subsidy and other measures will reduce digital inequalities between the North and the rest of Canada.
Source: https://www.devx.com/daily-news/crtc-announces-measures-to-enhance-northern-internet/