Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank all the witnesses for joining us.
I'll speak specifically to the CRTC officials.
I'll start by referring to a letter that the mayor of Saint‑Modeste, Louis‑Marie Bastille, received from Bell Canada on February 1, 2024, concerning future investments in fibre optic telecommunications in Saint‑Modeste. In this letter, Bell Canada informed the mayor of a change in its plan to roll out a high‑speed fibre optic Internet network in Saint‑Modeste. According to Bell Canada, a recent decision by the federal regulator, the Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications Commission, unfortunately requires the company to significantly cut back on the expansion of its network and thereby leave many people, neighbours and businesses in the area out in the cold. The decision, number 2023‑358, was made on November 6, 2023. I'll set aside the other points raised in the letter.
Mr. Hutton, how do I respond to the mayor of Saint‑Modeste with regard to this letter from Bell Canada? I gather that you revisited the idea of expanding the connection through the networks of major companies, which decided that they didn't agree with this decision. That's why Bell Canada decided to cut back on its investments. What do I tell the mayor of Saint‑Modeste?