The CRTC is asking the country’s largest telecoms to answer questions as to how the decommissioning of their 3G networks will impact those still on the legacy wireless technology.
In a letter Tuesday, the commission is asking Rogers, Bell, Telus, Quebecor, SaskTel, Iristel, and TBayTel to answer a few questions by November 1.
Those questions include whether the telecoms and their flankers still operate a 3G network and whether they have 3G-only plans available in the market; whether they plan to decommission the 3G network in the next three years and, if so, when that will happen, what will happen to those on 3G-only plans, how they will communicate that to customers and whether there will be advanced notification; whether they have 3G network coverage areas without 4G/5G overlap and whether decommissioning will create coverage gaps; and what impact 3G decommissioning will have on 3G-dependent devices and equipment, such as older security systems and medical-alert devices.
The CRTC is in the midst of reviewing how the unwinding of older technology is impacting not just customers, but competitors who rely on the larger players for wholesale access.
For example, the regulator said it will review how the decommissioning of older wireline copper technology will impact third-party competitors who still rely on that for their customers’ internet service.
Photo via Rogers
