OTTAWA-GATINEAU, November 21, 2013 — The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that municipalities and telecommunications companies can now refer to a model municipal access agreement to facilitate negotiations regarding the installation of telecommunications infrastructure.
“Telecommunications companies often need access to streets and other municipal property to install, upgrade or maintain their facilities, which include fibre-optic cables,” said Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC. “The model agreement will help municipalities save time and money in their negotiations, and enable telecommunications companies to provide high-quality services to Canadians.”
The model agreement was developed, at the CRTC’s request, by a working group that included representatives from Canadian municipalities and the telecommunications industry. Certain terms will need to be negotiated between the two parties, which will allow the final agreement to accommodate unique needs and circumstances.
The CRTC expects that the model agreement will benefit Canadians by streamlining the negotiation process and reducing the prospect of disputes between municipalities and telecommunications companies.
The CRTC is an administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.
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