[excerpt]
"... NorthwesTel, which is a subsidiary of Montreal-based BCE Inc., is
often the only choice for residential and business customers in Yukon, the
Northwest Territories and Nunavut. NorthwesTel also serves northern areas
of British Columbia and Alberta.
The CRTC's goal is to provide northern Canadians with communications
services that are on par with those in the rest of the country. About
107,200 people live across the three territories. A persistent lack of
affordable telecom choices and modern networks are barriers to providing
basic services such as banking, health care, education and policing.
A robust communications infrastructure is seen as crucial to ensuring
Canada's Arctic sovereignty and spurring economic development – both
priorities for the federal government. In spite of a burst of investment
from mining and exploration companies, the dearth of communications
infrastructure remains a stumbling block for northern businesses.
"Canadians expect to have a choice of high-quality telecommunications
services, regardless of where they live," CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais
said. "Last year, we expressed concern about the services available to
northern Canadians and required NorthwesTel to develop a plan to modernize
its aging network. The consultation launched today will allow us to
conduct a comprehensive review of NorthwesTel's services and its planned
improvements."
The CRTC has grown increasingly impatient with NorthwesTel in recent
years, noting it "failed to make the necessary investments in its network"
despite receiving about $20-million a year in contribution subsidies to
improve local telephone services.
That frustration culminated in a December, 2011, decision by the CRTC that
opened up the North to local telephone competition, prompting companies
such as Iristel Inc. and SSI Micro to announce plans to offer competitive
services.
"Northwestel is proud of its long history of providing state-of-the-art
communications services to Northerners across some of the most challenging
terrain in the world, and we encourage Northerners to participate in the
CRTC consultations," spokeswoman Emily Younker said in an e-mail.
"Canadians expect to have a choice of high-quality telecommunications
services, regardless of where they live," CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais
said. "Last year, we expressed concern about the services available to
northern Canadians and required NorthwesTel to develop a plan to modernize
its aging network. The consultation launched today will allow us to
conduct a comprehensive review of NorthwesTel's services and its planned
improvements."..."
Full story
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/crtc-to-tackle-subpar-telecom-service-in-canadas-north/article6032893/?service=mobile
excerpt
http://www.scoop.it/t/nwt-news/p/3631326683/crtc-calls-for-input-to-fix-telecom-services-in-north-the-globe-and-mail
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