Let me start by saying thank you. your time is valuable so I will be brief. 

Last year SSi filed a formal complaint with the CRTC against Northwestel. The rates charged by Northwestel for the use of its "backbone network" are far too high. That backbone is needed by competitors to carry communications traffic to the south, and CRTC intervention can fix the problem. Northwestel enjoys a monopoly - there are no alternatives for backbone services - so if they charge too much, that directly and negatively affects the service competitors can offer consumers. It also affects whether there will be any competition at all.

If you have an invested interest in the North, you might be interested in reading the study written by the Seaboard Group called Pirates of the Arctic. The link is included below and here is a small excerpt. "What are the costs to Northern citizens of inaction? Higher prices.

Iqaluit, Nunavut, February 14, 2012 – Public schools across Nunavut now have access to improved Internet enhancing students’ ability to include online learning in educational curricula from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

This new broadband service, providing dedicated bandwidth and satellite capacity, is made possible thanks to a partnership between the Government of Canada, the Government of Nunavut, the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC), and SSi Micro Ltd, the operator of the QINIQ network.