The CRTC last week said in a letter to several Canadian wireless ISPs (WISPs) that the commission’s joint study with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) tracking fixed wireless internet performance must be completed by the end of March and no extensions are possible.
The commission has previously asked the WISPs to participate in the study — the third phase of its Measuring Broadband Canada (MBC) project — which aims to better understand how Canadians subscribing to fixed wireless internet services with the federal objective speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps (or faster) upload are experiencing internet performance at home.
The CRTC and ISED launched phase three of the MBC project in 2022. U.K.-based broadband measurement company SamKnows (now part of Cisco) was selected to conduct the study.
In its letter last week, the CRTC says the testing phase of the study has started, and SamKnows may reach out to specific WISPs for additional information regarding certain data gathered from their subscribers.
In addition, CRTC staff will seek to provide WISPS with an opportunity to review and comment on a copy of the draft report, upon request, the letter says. “If requested, this review and comment period will be for approximately 7 calendar days and is expected on March 18, 2024,” the letter reads.
The WISPs who were sent the letter include the Canadian Wireless Internet Service Providers (CanWISP) association, Bell, Rogers, Telus, Xplore, CountryWifi, Ecotel, Fiberspeed, IGS Hawkesbury, Minto Communications, Muskoka Wifi, Netsolid, Quebec Internet, Ruralnet, and Vianet.
“The MBC project is an important tool for understanding Internet services in Canada,” the letter says. “As has been the case throughout this project, CRTC staff hope to be able to count on WISPs’ willing involvement in seeing Phase 3 of the MBC study to a successful completion. CRTC staff looks forward to your continued engagement in MBC Phase 3 and in working with ISPs in Canada in any future iterations of the MBC project.”
