October 12, 2022

FMCC responds to CRTC call for comments on: Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II

Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-147

On June 8, 2022, the CRTC initiated Phase II of the proceeding to review the regulatory framework for Northwestel.

See the Call for Comments

FMCC participated in the 2013 hearing (2012-669) and again in 2020 (CRTC 2020-367)In this proceeding, FMCC was joined by KatloTech Communications and DigitalNWT to present data and analysis about the experiences of service providers operating in rural/remote Indigenous communities, as well as the experiences of consumers living in Northwest Territories. FMCC received letters of support from the Native Women’s Association of the N.W.T. and Smart Communities Society (SCS) based in Yellowknife, NWT.

FMCC made a number of recommendations including: the CRTC consider existing approaches such as Jordan’s Principle that are designed to support equity and substantive equality in the provision of services; barriers to deployment such as access to information and facilities must be addressed; and the CRTC consult with the First Nations Technology Council regarding their work to support the implementation of UNDRIP in technology and innovation, and other resources for recommendations on adopting UNDRIP in the context of Indigenous digital equity. This includes recognition of nation-to-nation relationships, rights-holders’ approaches, and free, prior and informed consent.

See FMCC’s submission here.

See the Executive Summary of FMCC’s submission here

See the Native Women’s Association of N.W.T’s letter here

See Smart Communities Society’s (SCS) letter here

A number of parties participated in the initial phase of the proceedings and FMCC had an opportunity to respond to other intervenors. FMCC submitted its reply comments on January 10, 2023.

See FMCC’s Reply Comments here.

FMCC also participated in the in-person hearings in Whitehorse, NWT on April 17, 2023. See the transcript here.