Quebec. Implementation Projects covered by the Service Improvement Plan included upgrade of long-distance circuits (often outdated microwave lines), replacement of central office equipment (again, often outdated), replacement of assorted radio telephone service technologies with wireline service or fixed radio link wireless services providing direct dial capability, and extension of service to unserved customers, again, with wireline or fixed radio link wireless services. Cost sharing was a feature of the program. The benefitting customer paid a portion of the charges, usually the first $1,000 of usually the first $25,000. If the cost exceeded $25,000 to serve a customer, the customer was usually responsible to pay $1,000 plus any cost that exceeded $25,000. Such high cost was rare, and usually only occurred where the telephone company needed to install new microwave relay towers to service the customer. The telephone companies typically phased the program over several years, usually no more than four, with the focus on improving service to the larger groups of customers first, and providing new service to larger groups of unserved customers first. In the case of Northwestel, the four-year program involved distributing the project over the four jurisdictions the company's operating area covered: northern British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. One small effect of the program was to better define ILEC service territories in rural areas that had not previously been served. For example, Northwestel and Telus more clearly defined the service boundary between Wonowon and Fort St. John, British Columbia. The Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta area was transferred to Northwestel as a result of an order in 2003, since it could be served by Northwestel at a much lower cost than by Telus. Fort Fitzgerald was a minor contentious issue with Telus, as Northwestel claimed it did not serve Alberta, while Telus stated that Northwestel did have some customers in Alberta, possibly having been served by the Fort Smith Telephone Company before it was sold in 1964 to the predecessor of Northwestel. Northwestel area implementation Northwestel was required to file its SIP by January 31, 2000, a year before the requirement on the other companies. The plan largely consisted of replacing equipment in exchanges and on long-distance networks. This equipment was mostly manufacturer-discontinued, or no longer supported, but the equipment continued to meet the company's operational requirements. Much of this equipment was on routes and in communities where economic activity would not generate the revenue required