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Ottawa, 8 January 1993
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Telecom Public Notice CRTC 93-1
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AGT LIMITED - INTERCONNECTION OF INTEREXCHANGE CARRIERS AND RELATED RESALE AND SHARING ISSUES
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On 11 December 1992, Unitel Communications Inc. (Unitel) applied to the Commission for the interconnection of its network with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) of AGT Limited (AGT) for the purposes of providing public long distance voice telephone services. Unitel requested that the interconnection be governed by terms and conditions in accordance with those established in Competition in the Provision of Public Long Distance Voice Services and Related Resale and Sharing Issues, Telecom Decision CRTC 92-12, 12 June 1992 (Decision 92-12). Unitel submitted that it is not necessary to re-visit the issues examined in the proceeding leading to Decision 92-12 in order to consider its current application and that the scope of the proceeding should be limited to the determination of the particular terms and conditions to govern the requested interconnection. Unitel stated that it does not plan to file a business plan in support of its application.
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In Decision 92-12, the Commission concluded that increased competition, subject to certain terms and conditions, was in the public interest in the territories of Bell Canada, British Columbia Telephone Company, The Island Telephone Company Limited, Maritime Telegraph and Telephone Company Limited, The New Brunswick Telephone Company Limited, and Newfoundland Telephone Company Limited (the respondents). The Commission's conclusion was based on an extensive examination of the advantages and disadvantages associated with a wide range of issues. While AGT was an active participant in the proceeding leading to Decision 92-12, it was not a respondent. Therefore, the findings in Decision 92-12 do not apply to it. Furthermore, the specific circumstances of the company and the particular characteristics of its operating territory were not examined in the proceeding in the same detail as was the case for the respondents.
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In Resale and Sharing in the Territory of AGT Limited, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 92-66, 19 November 1992 (Public Notice 92-66), the Commission established a proceeding to consider allowing the resale and sharing of the telecommunications services of AGT under the same terms and conditions as those established in Appendix II to Decision 92-12. That proceeding was established, in part, in response to an application from Cam-Net Telecommunications Inc. for orders permitting such resale and sharing. In Public Notice 92-66, the Commission noted that AGT was not a respondent in the proceeding leading to Decision 92-12 and that the company's specific circumstances would have to be examined. Accordingly, the Commission directed AGT to file evidence on the impact of allowing resale and sharing in its territory under the terms and conditions set out in Appendix II to Decision 92-12. The Commission also invited the company's comments on why the benefits identified in that Decision might not be expected to arise in its operating territory and on the extent to which any negative effects could be minimized.
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In Public Notice 92-66, the Commission noted that the proceeding leading to Decision 92-12 dealt with Unitel's application for interconnection to provide public long distance voice services and for permission to resell WATS, together with the application of Call-Net Telecommunications Inc. for orders permitting the resale and sharing of the services of the Atlantic telephone companies. The Commission also noted that, in determining the scope of the proceeding leading to Decision 92-12 (see CRTC Telecom Public Notice 1990-73), it concluded that these applications raised related issues and should therefore be considered together. The Commission stated in Public Notice 92-66 that, while these types of applications raise similar issues, it did not have before it an application for interconnection and that it did not know when, in the foreseeable future, such an application for interconnection might be filed.
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An application for interconnection has now been filed, and, consistent with the above, the Commission considers it appropriate that issues associated with the interconnection of interexchange carriers (IXCs) to provide public long distance services in AGT's territory and those related to the resale and sharing of AGT's services be considered together in a single proceeding.
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In light of the above, the Commission initiates a proceeding to consider allowing the interconnection of IXCs to AGT's network and the resale and sharing of the telecommunications services of AGT, under the same terms and conditions as those established in Appendices I and II to Decision 92-12. In addition to examining whether IXCs should be allowed to interconnect using trunk-side access to AGT's PSTN, the Commission has determined that this proceeding should also include consideration of whether resellers should be provided with trunk-side access and, if so, the terms and conditions that should apply and the regulatory obligations that should be imposed on resellers (this issue is currently before the Commission, with respect to the networks of the respondents, in the proceeding established in Trunk-Side Access by Resellers to the Public Switched Telephone Networks, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 92-55, 23 September 1992).
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Given the findings in Decision 92-12, and the extensive record on which those findings were based, the Commission considers it sufficient for an examination of the issues raised in this proceeding that Unitel file details of its proposed interconnection with AGT's network, including its network plan and its proposed market rollout with respect to Alberta.
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By letter dated 23 December 1992, the Commission notified AGT, Unitel and other parties to the proceeding established in Public Notice 92-66 of the above determinations and of the procedure that would be set out in this Public Notice.
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Procedure
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1. The record of the proceeding established in Public Notice 92-66 will form part of the record of this proceeding. Unitel, AGT and other parties to the proceeding established in Public Notice 92-66 are made parties to this proceeding. Other persons wishing to participate in this proceeding must notify the Commission by writing to Mr. Allan J. Darling, Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2 (fax: 819-953-0795) by 1 February 1993. The Commission will issue a complete list of parties and their mailing addresses.
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2. By letter dated 23 December 1992, the Commission directed Unitel to file, by 18 January 1993, information on its proposed interconnection with AGT's network, including its network plan and its proposed market rollout in Alberta. Unitel was directed to serve a copy of this information on AGT by the same date. Unitel was also directed to serve other parties to this proceeding by 15 February 1993.
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3. The Commission has addressed interrogatories to AGT. AGT has been directed to file responses to these interrogatories, serving copies on other parties, by 15 February 1993.
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In its letter of 23 December 1992, the Commission directed AGT to file the evidence required in Public Notice 92-66 by 15 February 1992. AGT was directed to serve copies on parties to this proceeding by the same date. In addition, AGT was directed to file and serve on all parties, also by the same date, evidence on the impact of allowing interconnection to provide public long distance voice services under the terms and conditions set out in Appendix I to Decision 92-12 and on whether to provide resellers with trunk-side access. In this context, the Commission invited AGT to comment on why the benefits of increased competition identified in Decision 92-12 may not be expected to arise in AGT's territory, and on the terms and conditions necessary to ensure that any potential negative effects are minimized.
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4. Parties may address interrogatories to AGT. Any such interrogatories must be filed with the Commission and served on AGT by 15 March 1993.
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5. AGT is to file responses to any interrogatories, serving copies on other parties, by 13 April 1993.
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6. Requests by parties for further responses to their interrogatories, specifying in each case why a further response is both relevant and necessary, and requests for public disclosure of information for which confidentiality has been claimed, setting out the reasons for disclosure, must be filed with the Commission and served on AGT by 23 April 1993.
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7. AGT's replies to requests for further responses to interrogatories and to requests for public disclosure must be filed with the Commission and served on other parties by 3 May 1993.
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8. The Commission will rule on requests for disclosure and for further responses by 10 May 1993.
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9. Parties are to file any comments with the Commission, serving copies on all other parties, by 11 June 1993.
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10. Parties are to file any reply comments with the Commission, serving copies on all other parties by 25 June 1993.
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11. Where a document is to be filed or served by a specific date, the document must be actually received, not merely mailed, by that date.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
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