ARCHIVED -  Telecom Public Notice CRTC 96-11

Telecom Public Notice

Ottawa, 9 April 1996

Telecom Public Notice CRTC 96-11

IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULATORY FRAMEWORK - LOCAL INTERCONNECTION AND NETWORK COMPONENT UNBUNDLING - ORAL HEARING

By letter dated 10 August 1995, the Commission advised all interested parties to the proceeding initiated by Implementation of Regulatory Framework - Local Interconnection and Network Component Unbundling, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 95-36, 11 July 1995 (Public Notice 95-36), that it would consider requests for an oral component to the proceeding after the evidence of interveners was filed. By letter dated 2 February 1996, the Canadian Cable Television Association reiterated an earlier request for an oral hearing and proposed that any such oral hearing be limited to an examination of public policy issues as opposed to technical issues. The Commission requested that parties provide their comments by 23 February 1996.

The Commission received comments from Clearnet Communications Inc. (Clearnet), Research Overload Ltd. (Research Overload), Sprint Canada Inc. (Sprint), Stentor Resource Centre Inc. (Stentor) and Unitel Communications Inc. (Unitel).

All of the parties, other than Sprint, generally supported an oral phase to the proceeding. Clearnet supported an oral hearing provided that (1) it would not delay the Commission in reaching its conclusions and (2) it would not be too narrowly focused on public policy issues at the expense of examining important technical matters. Stentor reiterated its support for an oral component. Stentor also proposed a list of issues that it submitted could be appropriately addressed orally but submitted that, issues of a purely technical or operational nature would be more appropriately dealt with outside of any oral proceeding. Generally, Sprint did not support an oral hearing, but submitted that if the Commission were to determine that an oral hearing is required, then the issues subject to oral examination and cross-examination should be narrowly defined.

The Commission considers that an oral component to the proceeding initiated by Public Notice 95-36 is warranted to examine the specific issues set out below. Accordingly, the Commission announces that it will hold a public hearing commencing at 9:00 a.m. on 19 August 1996 in the Outaouais Room of the Conference Centre, Phase IV, Place du Portage, Hull, Quebec. The hearing will last approximately three weeks.

Taking into account the nature of the issues being considered, and in light of the concerns of parties that any oral process should not unduly delay the proceeding, cross-examination by parties in the oral component of this proceeding will be strictly limited to the following issues:

(1) contribution issues, excluding quantification;

(2) embedded costs and methods of recovery, excluding quantification;

(3) certification requirements and safeguards, including directories, obligation to serve and carrier of last resort;

(4) competitive safeguards applicable to competitive local exchange carriers and incumbent telephone companies;

(5) resale issues; and

(6) start-up costs and methods of recovery.

The dates for addressing and responding to supplementary interrogatories, as set out in the Commission's 15 November 1995 letter to interested parties, remain unchanged.

The Commission encourages parties to fully utilize the supplementary interrogatory process in order to canvass those issues that will not be addressed at the oral hearing, as well as to sharpen the focus on those issues that will be addressed.

The Commission will issue further directions relating to the filing dates for written final and reply argument and other procedures relevant to the conduct of the oral hearing at a later date.

Allan J. Darling
Secretary General

AVI96-11_0