The CRTC is seeking to better understand the state of telephone, wireless and Internet services in the areas served by Northwestel. This will help determine whether more needs to be done to ensure Canadians living there have access to high-quality services at reasonable rates.

“Now more than ever, telecommunications services have become indispensable for Canadians no matter where they live. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the digital divide between Canada’s North and South. We would like to hear from northern Canadians about their experiences related to telecommunications services so we can help bridge the divide and ensure that they have high-quality services at affordable prices.”

Ian Scott, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, CRTC

• Northwestel serves a population of 125,000 residents in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern British Columbia and Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta.

• The CRTC has a framework in place specific to Northwestel and regulates its retail rates for local telephone and broadband Internet services.

• Through this review, the Commission will consider the appropriate regulatory approach to ensure, among other things, that Canadians living in the North have access to affordable local telephone and broadband Internet services.

• In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has approved various applications submitted by Northwestel to provide relief to their customers by temporarily waiving data overage fees for some of their services and increasing usage caps across a range of broadband Internet packages.

• The CRTC is currently considering Northwestel’s application to offer unlimited data on certain residential and business plans.

• The Commission has other initiatives in place to address Canada’s digital divide, including the Broadband Fund, which will, as part of its first round of funding, provide Northwestel with funding for four projects to improve broadband Internet services in 46 communities in the North.

• The CRTC is also examining potential barriers to the deployment of broadband Internet networks in underserved areas in Canada, including access to telephone poles.

Associated links

• Share your views and ideas on telecommunications services in Northern Canada
• Call for comments – Review of the Commission’s regulatory framework for Northwestel Inc. and the state of telecommunications services in Canada’s North
• Broadband Fund – Closing the digital divide in Canada
• CRTC Broadband Fund selected projects
• Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2020-40 - Review of the price cap and local forbearance regimes
• Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-406 - Call for comments regarding potential barriers to the deployment of broadband-capable networks in underserved areas in Canada
• 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

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