ARCHIVED -  Telecom Public Notice CRTC 95-4

Telecom Public Notice

Ottawa, 27 January 1995

Telecom Public Notice CRTC 95-4

INTERIM INTERCONNECTION OF INTEREXCHANGE CARRIERS WITH QUEBEC INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE COMPANIES AND RELATED RESALE AND SHARING ISSUES

I BACKGROUND

On 2 December 1994, the Commission received an application from Unitel Communications Inc. (Unitel), asking for interim and final orders permitting it to interconnect with the independent telephone companies in Quebec, i.e., with Québéc-Téléphone, Télébec ltée (Télébec) and all other members of the Association des Compagnies de Téléphone du Québec inc. (ACTQ). Unitel stated in its application that a lengthy delay in introducing competition in the territories of the Quebec independents would have a substantial adverse effect on its business opportunities in the province of Quebec and that an immediate interim regime allowing competition was necessary. As part of its application, Unitel proposed a set of interim terms and conditions that should apply until the Commission could make a final determination on this matter.

Prior to the filing of Unitel's application, the Commission received a request from fONOROLA Inc. (fONOROLA), dated 16 September 1994, for Commission approval for the resale and sharing of telecommunications services in the territories of the Quebec independents. By letter dated 7 October 1994, the Commission advised fONOROLA that it would be holding a proceeding to deal with the broader issue of competition in the territories of all independents under its jurisdiction.

By letter dated 22 December 1994, the Commission ordered Québec-Téléphone to allow Unitel or any other company to operate as a reseller in its territory according to the terms and conditions established by the Régie des télécommunications du Québec (the Régie) in its decision R.T. 92-044-A and ratified by the Commission in Telecom Order CRTC 94-682, 17 June 1994. In the same letter, the Commission advised it would be holding a proceeding to deal with the broader issue of competition in the territories of all the independents under its jurisdiction.

On 21 December 1994, ACTQ on behalf of most of its members filed an interim access tariff for interconnection with Bell Canada (Bell). This tariff was granted interim approval in Telecom Order CRTC 95-75, 26 January 1995 (Order 95-75). The associated interconnection agreement, filed by Bell, was granted interim approval in Telecom Order CRTC 95-54, 17 January 1995 (Order 95-54).

In a letter to the Commission dated 2 January 1995, Unitel indicated that it would be prepared to modify its application and enter into an agreement similar to Bell's interconnection agreement with ACTQ, on an interim basis only, if entering into such an agreement would provide it with some of the interim relief requested in its original application.

Consistent with its letter to fONOROLA of 7 October 1994, the Commission intends to issue a public notice initiating a proceeding to consider the appropriate approach (or approaches) for the regulation of the various independent telephone companies now under its jurisdiction. In that proceeding, the Commission will establish a competitive regime in the territories of the Quebec independents. However, pending a decision in that proceeding, the Commission is of the preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to establish an interim competitive regime. Accordingly, the Commission proposes the following interim regime:

(1) Québec-Téléphone, Télébec and all other Quebec independents would provide all interexchange carriers (IXCs) and resellers with the facilities required to interchange their public long distance voice traffic based on the terms and conditions in the Bell interconnection agreement approved in Order 95-54 and the interim access tariffs approved in Order 95-75;

(2) Québec-Téléphone, Télébec and all other Quebec independents would provide all IXCs and resellers with the facilities required to interchange their switched data traffic, pursuant to the terms and conditions in the Bell interconnection agreement approved in Order 95-54 and the interim access tariffs approved in Order CRTC 95-75 (this proposal would not apply to Unitel's FacsRoute traffic in the territories of Québec-Téléphone and Télébec, as there is a revenue settlement agreement in place for such traffic);

(3) Québec-Téléphone, Télébec and all other Quebec independents would provide all IXCs with the facilities required to originate and terminate their Group I and Group II services, pursuant to the terms and conditions in the Bell interconnection agreement approved in Order 95-54;

(4) Télébec and all other Quebec independents would provide all IXCs and resellers with the facilities required in order that the private line services of these independents could be resold or shared on a joint use basis on the same terms and conditions as stipulated in the Régie's decision R.T. 92-044-A; and

(5) all IXCs and resellers would be permitted to resell the switched long distance services of Québec-Téléphone, Télébec or all other Quebec independents on the terms and conditions set out in Competition in the Provision of Public Long Distance Voice Telephone Services and Related Resale and Sharing Issues, Telecom Decision CRTC 92-12, 12 June 1992 and in AGT Limited - Interconnection of Interexchange Carriers and Related Resale and Sharing Issues, Telecom Decision CRTC 93-17, 29 October 1993.

The Commission notes that Téléphone Guèvremont Inc. (Guèvremont), by letter dated 29 December 1994, asked the Commission to reject Unitel's application and to order Unitel to immediately negotiate an interconnection agreement with Guèvremont, reporting back to the Commission if an agreement was not reached. The Commission considers that the points raised in this submission can be dealt with as part of this proceeding.

II PROCEDURE

1. Bell, Québéc-Téléphone, Télébec, the members of ACTQ listed in the Appendix to this Public Notice, fONOROLA, Guèvremont and Unitel are made parties to this proceeding. Unitel's application and Guèvremont's letter are made part of the record of this proceeding.

2. Other parties wishing to participate in this proceeding must notify the Commission of their intention to do so by writing to Mr. Allan J. Darling, Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, fax: 819-953-0795, by 24 February 1995. The Commission will issue a complete list of parties and their mailing addresses.

3. Parties may file comments, by 10 March 1995, as to whether or not it would be in the public interest to implement the regime described above on an interim basis pending the establishment, in the proceeding to deal with the regulatory framework for the independent telephone companies, of final terms and conditions governing interconnection and resale by competitors. Copies are to be served on all other parties, also by 10 March 1995.

4. Parties may file replies to any comments, serving copies on all other parties, by 24 March 1995.

5. 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.

Allan J. Darling
Secretary General

APPENDIX

Co-op de Téléphone de Valcourt

L'Association des Compagnies de Téléphone du Québec inc.

La Cie de Téléphone de Courcelles Inc.

La Compagnie de Téléphone de Lambton Inc.

La Compagnie de Téléphone de St-Victor

La Compagnie de Téléphone Upton Inc.

La Compagnie de Téléphone de Warwick

Le Téléphone St-Liboire de Bagot Inc.

Le Téléphone St-Éphrem inc.

Société de Téléphone de la Baie

Téléphone Milot Inc.

Téléphone Nantes Inc.

Sogetel Inc.

Vidéotron Télécom ltée