Canada’s telecommunications regulator says it is working to improve internet reliability and affordability for residents in Northern Canada.
The CRTC says it is requiring Northwestel Inc., which provides phone, internet and television services in Canada’s north, to automatically reduce customers’ bills when internet services are disrupted for at least 24 hours.
It says it will also enhance competition by making it easier for other service providers to use Northwestel’s network to sell services to customers.
The CRTC says the move comes with the launch of another public consultation to develop a subsidy aimed at improving affordability, which would help bring the cost of internet services in the Far North closer to those in other parts of the country. The consultation will be open until Feb. 18.
The announcement comes after a previous consultation by the CRTC on improvements to telecommunications in the Far North, which was originally launched in November 2020.
CRTC chairperson Vicky Eatrides says the regulator heard during that review that residents in the Far North face challenges in accessing internet services, which disrupts daily activities such as online learning and the ability to access health care and emergency services.
