OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Concurrent with its review of basic telecommunications services, the CRTC also published an inquiry report on satellite services in Canada plus called for a review of Telesat’s “market dominance”.
Conducted by Commissioner Candice Molnar, the report found that satellite dependent communities, located in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon, as well as remote areas of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, continue to rely almost exclusively on Telesat's satellite network for services including as voice, wireless, and Internet. Ottawa-based Telesat Canada is the main satellite operator in Canada providing fixed satellite services (FSS) to broadcasting, telecommunications, corporate, and government customers, and presently the only satellite operator that covers all of Canada.
Noting its "market dominance", Commissioner Molnar recommended that the CRTC initiate a public review of Telesat's current price ceiling, including its level, to its C-band services. The CRTC agreed and initiated a public consultation Thursday, with comments due before August 21, 2015. The Commission is also seeking comments on any associated regulatory measures that should be taken.
“Today, I presented a report on satellite transport services that was prepared further to an exhaustive inquiry”, said Molnar, CRTC Regional Commissioner for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, in a statement. “The inquiry in question revealed that the prices for satellite services are well below the price ceiling that applies to Telesat. It is for this reason, in particular, that I recommended that the CRTC consult Canadians to find out if it continues to be appropriate to maintain such a price ceiling, among other things.”
