Commission may launch public consultation on matter
OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking the country’s largest internet service providers via letter for comment on whether it should mandate participation in a data project in collaboration with Innovation Canada to track fixed wireless internet performance.
Participation is currently voluntary and requires that the fixed wireless service providers contacting all of its subscribers on the federal objective speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps and higher and providing them material asking them if they are willing to participate in the study.
But the commission said that, while there have been a number of WISPs participating, “some major Canadian ISPs have yet to agree to participate.”
The CRTC is now asking those ISPs, including Rogers, Bell, Telus and Xplore, whether it should mandate participation, which WISPs should be subject to regulatory measures to mandate that participation, and the reasons preventing WISPs from participating in the study.
The commission and ISED commissioned broadband measurement company SamKnows for the project. Last year, ISED and the CRTC put out a $1.5-million contract to collect the performance data.
This will be the third such test and report for the CRTC for its Measuring Broadband Canada Project.
The commission also said in the letter that their responses will be logged as part of a proceeding if it launches a public consultation on the matter.
Fixed wireless technology is a method of connecting hard-to-reach homes with internet using wireless signals, instead of more costly wires. The major providers all have a fixed wireless segment to assist in reaching as many homes as possible with connectivity.
Other providers asked for comment include the Canadian Wireless Internet Service Providers (CanWISP) association, CountryWifi, Ecotel, Fiberspeed, IGS Hawkesbury, Minto Communications, Muskoka Wifi, Netsolid, Quebec Internet, Ruralnet, and Vianet.
