Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide the Report on Telecommunications and commends into the House.

The Executive Summary

Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is concerned about the growing digital divide in the NWT and the overall accessibility to connectivity and quality of internet services across the NWT.

The pandemic continues to highlight a growing gap between these with affordable, high-speed, reliable connectivity and those without. The communities in the NWT, especially more than remote communities, are suffering the most. And as the residents cannot afford it, the NWT falls below the rates of connectivity across Canada and yet also pay the highest price for service in - and the sporadic... [audio] The NWT witnessed over the course of the pandemic sporadic service in their community, limits accessibility for essential services.

The committee invited presentations from the Government of the Northwest Territories, (the GNWT), and the industry engagement informed committee submission. The Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission 2020-367 (Appendix A) has also informed committee's recommendations to the GNWT.

In the committee's view, the GNWT has not completed a comprehensive business plan including financial costs required to provide internet access in the NWT at a comparable level of service in southern Canada. Without a complete picture of the total costs delivering the service, the GNWT continues to fall short of federal partners in industry to achieve this at the end.

The following report provides summary of what the committee heard from stakeholders and submits recommendations to the GNWT to improve accessibility, reliability, affordability of the telecommunications services in the NWT.

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment has provided nine recommendations for the GNWT.

1. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT to continue into invest in publicly owned backbone internet infrastructure in the NWT. Specifically, the GNWT to prioritize the opportunity to create fibre redundancy to the NWT.
2. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT ensure fibre optic into home made available -- make fibre optic make -- made available to the residents of Tuktoyaktuk completion Inuvik-Tuk fibre line installation.
3. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT all backbone internet infrastructure in communities accommodates open wholesale access to NWT business to co-locate internet services a fair price in the NWT businesses.
4. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT advocate to the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission to set aside funding under the broadband fund for smaller service providers in Indigenous-owned businesses to help promote competition.
5. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the GNWT ensure all public funded internet backbone infrastructure in the NWT provide wholesale high-speed third-party internet access.
6. The Standing Committee on Economic Development Environment recommends the GNWT address digital divide within the NWT by providing free access to basic internet packages through income assistance funding and NWT Housing Corporation for public housing units.
7. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends to GNWT to address the digital divide building partnerships that can make free Wi-Fi services to all regional centres.
8. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT encourage competition in the market by procuring internet services by smaller pieces and that local internet providers can effectively bid on these opportunities.
9. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends a response and recommendations listed within 120 business days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.