OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The CRTC released a model of its new municipal access agreement Thursday, designed to assist municipalities and telecommunications companies navigate the installation of telecommunications infrastructure.
Municipal access agreements (MAAs) are negotiated between municipalities and telecommunication providers for access to municipal rights-of-way, such as street crossings and other municipal property, for the purposes of installing, operating, and maintaining transmission facilities.
The model agreement was developed, at the CRTC’s request, by a working group that included representatives from Canadian municipalities and the telecommunications industry. While the Commission said that the model agreement will streamline the negotiation process and reduce the likelihood of disputes between municipalities and telecommunications companies, it also acknowledged that “certain terms” still need to be negotiated between the two parties which will allow the final agreement to accommodate “unique needs and circumstances”.
“Telecommunications companies often need access to streets and other municipal property to install, upgrade or maintain their facilities, which include fibre-optic cables,” said CRTC chairm Jean-Pierre Blais, in a statement. “The model agreement will help municipalities save time and money in their negotiations, and enable telecommunications companies to provide high-quality services to Canadians.”
