ARCHIVED -  Telecom Order CRTC 97-1779

Telecom Order

Ottawa, 28 November 1997

Telecom Order CRTC 97-1779

On 7 November 1997, Bell Canada filed an application for approval of tariff revisions to Special Facilities Tariff Item G204, providing for escort service to customers and/or their designated contractors into its central-offices for the purposes of performing installation, repair or maintenance work on customer-owned equipment.

On 10 October 1997, Bell Canada (Bell) submitted for approval, tariff revisions relating to the introduction of Celebriti Paging Service. The company is proposing to provide the service by purchasing messaging service in bulk from a paging service provider.

File No.: Tariff Notice 6114

1. The Commission has received comments from XL Consulting, Clearnet Communications Inc. (Clearnet), Rogers Cantel Inc. (Cantel), Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), and Mobility Canada. Bell submitted reply comments and, further to XL Consulting's request for clarification, filed additional information.

2. Clearnet and Cantel requested that the Commission initiate a public process to consider the issues raised in Bell's tariff application. The two interveners claimed that the tariff application is tied to an outstanding Bell application for a review and variance of Regulation of Mobile Wireless Telecommunications Services, Telecom Decision CRTC 96-14, dated 23 December 1996, to allow Bell to offer paging services in-house in a forborne environment, as well as to the proceeding initiated by Review of Joint Marketing Restrictions, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 97-14, dated 25 April 1997 and Review of Bundling and Joint Marketing Restrictions, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 97-21, dated 6 June 1997 (PNs 97-14 and 97-21). CWTA submitted that Bell's applications raise a number of regulatory and policy issues which should be addressed prior to disposition of the applications. CWTA also submitted that the issues in Bell's application are tied to those in PNs 97-14 and 97-21.

3. In reply, Bell submitted that it would not be in the public interest to re-open the above proceedings. Bell noted that in PN 97-14, "the Commission decided not to extend the joint marketing restrictions to the distribution of paging products and services on the basis that, among other things, the paging market is mature and competitive, with a large number of service providers." Bell also submitted that its proposal to offer paging service is beyond the scope of PNs 97-14 and 97-21, as there is nothing in Tariff Notice (TN) 6114 to suggest that it is proposing to "bundle" paging services with any other services.

4. The Commission is of the view that it is not necessary to delay interim disposition of TN 6114 pending a decision on Bell's review and vary application as to whether the Commission should forbear from regulating these services when provided in-house by a dominant telephone company.

5. With respect to Bell's clarification as to the type of paging service that it wants to provide, Bell indicated that Celebriti is a numeric paging service. In the Commission's view, it would be appropriate to include that clarification in the proposed tariffs.

6. In light of the foregoing, the Commission orders that:

a) Bell TN 6114 is approved on an interim basis; and

b) Bell is directed to issue tariff pages which indicate that Celebriti is a numeric paging service.

Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General

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