CRTC launches next phase of public consultation about telecommunications services in the Far North

June 8, 2022 – Ottawa-Gatineau – Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

The CRTC is now inviting comments on what actions it should take to improve telecommunications services in the Far North. This area includes the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon, communities in northern British Columbia, and Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta.

During the first phase of the consultation, residents of the Far North told us that everyone living in Canada should have affordable access to telecommunications services that are reliable and that allow for the same online activities as those available in the South, such as video conferencing. The comments received as well as the data collected through public opinion research allowed the CRTC to narrow the scope of issues it should address in the next phase.

In the second phase of the consultation, which launched today, the CRTC is seeking information on what actions it should take to make home phone and Internet services in the Far North:

• more affordable;
• more reliable;
• more competitive, and
• to better support reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

To facilitate participation, the CRTC has prepared a summary with key information that is available in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, Cree and Chipewyan.

The CRTC is welcoming comments until October 6, 2022. You can submit your comments by:

All comments submitted will form part of the public record and will inform the CRTC’s decision.

The CRTC will hold an in-person hearing on April 17th, 2023, at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, in Whitehorse, Yukon. It will also be possible for parties to participate remotely.