Friday, 20 January 2012 11:41
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| Telesat’s corporate headquarters is shown in Ottawa, Canada. A software glitch was responsible for the long-distance phone and internet service outage in northern Canadian communities in October.. Photo: Fred Chartrand, The Canadian Press. |
The proposed changes come after an incident in October when a major satellite failure left Nunavut in a communications crisis.
On Oct. 6, Telesat Canada's Anik F2 satellite malfunctioned and turned towards the sun, leaving Nunavut without internet or long distance telephone service. Premier Eva Aariak issued emergency instructions on CBC Radio in Nunavut.
On Oct. 19, legislative clerk John Quirke wrote to the CRTC asking for an amendment to the regulations controlling the channel that usually broadcasts proceedings of the territory's legislature.
That channel uses Telesat's Anik F1 satellite, which remained fully-functional throughout the communications disruption. According to Quirke's letter, the channel is available in about 50 per cent of Nunavut households.
"Although the broadcasts of our proceedings do not reach every household in Nunavut, our community penetration rate is sufficient to warrant the use of our infrastructure as part of an emergency broadcast system in the territory," Quirke wrote.
The proposed changes would allow the Government of Nunavut to broadcast video, audio and text messages on the channel if emergency alerts can't be distributed through any other means.
"It would allow the premier herself to actually deliver public service announcements to every Nunavummiuq," said Elissa McKinnon, who speaks for the Department of Community and Goverment Services with the Government of Nunavut.
The CRTC will accept comments on the proposed changes until Feb. 17.