Rural residents concerned bills could rise over CRTC subsidy phase out
Rural residents are worried CRTC changes could jack up landline costs and are making their voices heard.
In December 2016, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decided it would possibly phase out local subsidies for landlines in high-cost serving areas. Sasktel said these subsidies total almost $17 million. It was designed to keep wireline service affordable in high-cost areas, such as rural and northern Saskatchewan.
This was cause for concern for Adeline and Edward Palchinski who reside on a farm in Cudworth. The couple fear their monthly bill could double. They rely on the landline as their soul source of communication as cell phone coverage at their home is “not the best.”
“We are not young no more so we need to phone doctors and what not,” she said. “[Our daughter] phones here a lot and when the phone isn’t working, they are worried and so are we.”