Ontario First Nations ISP asking CRTC to extend internet subsidy beyond Far North

A First Nations internet service provider in northern Ontario is looking for the CRTC to expand its internet subsidy from the Far North to many remote reserves across the country. Matawa First Nations Management (MFNM) is the owner of Rapid Lynx Telecommunications Corp. It filed a Part 1 application with the regulator on Sept. 30 seeking the subsidy. Earlier this year the commission mandated a subsidy for communities in the Far North, serviced by BCE Inc’s Northwestel division. The money will be available to all residential customers and to small businesses (defined as firms spending $2,500 or less each month on telecom services), regardless of service provider. The subsidy will be funded by the National Contribution Fund. MFNM feels that the same conditions that led to the northern stipend apply to its territory. “MFNM believes the geographic scope of the retail subsidy established in TRP 2025-9, which is limited to Northwestel’s incumbent serving territory, is unjust and contrary to Canadian telecommunications policy objectives, which emphasize service to all regions of Canada and affordable access for Indigenous communities,” the group wrote. The organization is calling for Indigenous communities to receive the subsidy because that is the type of region it is most familiar with. It concedes the commission may wish to extend the payment to non-Indigenous areas if it wants to. Matawa First Nations say they face many social and economic difficulties stemming from the aftereffects of colonization. They face problems in accessing government programs such as health care and education. They also have a high suicide rate in the communities, which MFNM said is a public health crisis. Rapid Lynx, which was funded by the federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund and the provincial Improving Connectivity for Ontario program, is using fibre to the premises (FTTP) technology to connect residents to broadband. The government money can only be used for capital expenditures and cannot be used for a retail subsidy, MFNM added. “In MFNM’s experience, many residents cannot afford northern retail internet price points,” the application states. “MFNM experimented with using Starlink to offer retail internet services and saw disconnections when monthly charges proved unaffordable for residents.” The group does not believe that the Far North is unique in its problems geographically. “The commission identified several technological and logistical challenges to providing telecommunications services in the Far North, including the vast terrain, severe weather, and low population density,” the Part 1 continues. “These challenges are also comparable or greater for MFNM’s communities in northern Ontario.” MFNM is made up of nine communities. Five of them are only accessible by air and winter road while the remaining four are reachable by all-season roads. The combined population of Matawa First Nations is just over 10,000, the document reveals. ppark@thewirereport.ca

Ontario First Nations ISP asking CRTC to extend internet subsidy beyond Far North

Regulatory |
By Paul Park
|October 7, 2025

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Ontario First Nations ISP asking CRTC to extend internet subsidy beyond Far North

Regulatory | By Paul Park |October 7, 2025

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