ARCHIVED -  Telecom Order CRTC 97-1962

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Telecom Order

Ottawa, 30 December 1997
Telecom Order CRTC 97-1962
On 1 August 1997, Québec-Téléphone filed under Tariff Notice (TN) 178 an application for approval of its PIC/CARE Access Customer Handbook (PIC/CARE Manual) and tariff revisions pertaining to the provision of equal access services. On 14 November 1997, Québec-Téléphone filed under TN 189 an application for approval of tariff revisions pertaining to the provision of switching and aggregation services.
File Nos.: Québec-Téléphone TN 178 and TN 189
1. The Commission finds that clause 4.3 of Québec-Téléphone's proposed PIC/CARE Manual should provide, as an additional check by the Carrier Service Group (CSG), the validation against conflicting requests from multiple Access Customers (ACs).
2. The Commission also finds that clause 4.4 of Québec-Téléphone's proposed PIC/CARE Manual should be modified to indicate that when the dates of end user authorization on the orders are the same, all AC requests are rejected and the end user remains with its current AC.
3. On 26 September 1997, AT&T Canada Long Distance Services Company (AT&T Canada LDS) filed comments regarding TN 178. AT&T Canada LDS submitted that the proposed rates for equal access services should not apply in addition to the 1.1 cent switching and aggregation rate, previously given interim approval by the Commission, as the latter was intended to incorporate the cost of these functions. AT&T Canada LDS requested full disclosure with respect to the underlying assumptions and cost elements used by Québec-Téléphone to develop its equal access proposal.
4. In its reply of 9 October 1997, Québec-Téléphone reiterated its claims of confidentiality with respect to the cost study supporting its proposal and submitted that the unbundled switching and aggregation rates approved in Unbundled Rates to Provide Equal Access, Telecom Decision CRTC 97-6, 10 April 1997 (Decision 97-6) amounted to more than 1.1 cent for each of the Stentor member companies.
5. The Commission notes that, under Québec-Téléphone's proposal, the 1.1 cent switching and aggregation rate would not apply in addition to the rates for other equal access services.
6. In its comments of 12 December 1997, regarding TN 189, AT&T Canada LDS requested that the Commission issue a public notice with respect to the equal access issues raised by Québec-Téléphone in TN 189 and TN 178. AT&T Canada LDS submitted that if the Commission were to decide not to conduct such a proceeding, it should deny TN 189 and direct Québec-Téléphone to (1) provide a full disclosure of the economic study that was filed in confidence in support of the proposed Access Tandem Connection rate, and (2) file a complete and unabridged economic study with respect to the proposed Direct Connection rate.
7. The Commission notes that Québec-Téléphone's proposed rates for switching and aggregation services were developed in a manner consistent with its findings in Decision 97-6.
8. The Commission considers that unbundled rates for equal access services should be in place when equal access is implemented in Québec-Téléphone's territory on 1 January 1998.
9. The Commission expects to rule on AT&T Canada LDS's requests for disclosure and decide on a procedure to finalize Québec-Téléphone's proposed tariffs for equal access services during the first quarter of 1998.
10. In light of the foregoing, the Commission orders that:
(a) Québec-Téléphone's PIC/CARE Manual is granted interim approval with the following modifications:
i) clause 4.3 is to include a provision for the CSG to provide for the validation against conflicting requests from multiple ACs; and
ii) clause 4.4 is to indicate that when the dates of end user authorization on the orders are the same, all AC requests are rejected and the end user remains with its current AC;
(b) The proposed tariff revisions filed under TN 178 and TN 189 are given interim approval effective 1 January 1998; and
(c) Québec-Téléphone make revisions to its PIC/CARE Manual and issue forthwith revised tariff pages.
Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General
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