ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 97-319
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Ottawa, 7 March 1997
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Telecom Order CRTC 97-319
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IN THE MATTER OF an application by BC TEL under Tariff Notice 3534 dated 21 October 1996, for approval of tariff revisions to introduce rates for the maintenance of single-line inside wire and to apply rates for diagnostic service involving inside wire troubles.
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WHEREAS BC TEL noted that by Telecom Order CRTC 94-1143, responsibility for single-line inside wire installation and rearrangement was transferred to its customers effective 24 April 1995;
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WHEREAS BC TEL indicated that maintenance service was provided free-of-charge over the intervening period to provide customers with a phased introduction to the competitive provision of single-line inside wire services;
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WHEREAS by letter dated 8 November 1996 the Commission posed interrogatories to BC TEL and the company replied on 21 November 1996;
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WHEREAS an intervention was received from The British Columbia Public Interest Advocacy Centre presenting the comments of the B.C. Old Age Pensioners' Organization, the Consumers' Association of Canada (B.C. Branch), the Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of B.C., Federated Anti-Poverty Groups of B.C., Senior Citizens' Association of B.C., West End Seniors' Network, and Local 1-217 IWA Seniors, collectively referred to as BCOAPO et al.;
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WHEREAS BCOAPO et al. opposed approval of the proposed tariff changes on the grounds that, in the event of inside wire trouble, customers should be provided with the ability to sectionalize the trouble to one side of the demarcation point by means of a jack-ended demarcation device, and should be informed of the need for the demarcation device and the competitive alternatives available for inside wire service;
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WHEREAS BCOAPO et al. was of the view that a competitive market for inside wire service is not currently evident in BC TEL territory and that, if BC TEL wishes to see the development of a competitive market, customer information including a more comprehensively distributed Wiring Guide should be provided;
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WHEREAS BCOAPO et al. was of the view that it would be appropriate to charge for the installation of a jack-ended demarcation device if the customer took action to have the device installed;
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WHEREAS BC TEL, in reply to the concern that customers would have difficulty testing their inside wire without a jack-ended demarcation device, noted that most people are equally unprepared to deal with a breakdown in other home services such as electrical service or furnace operation;
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WHEREAS BC TEL submitted that it was opposed to a policy such as that contained in Maritime Tel & Tel Limited General Tariff Item 3230 because it was inappropriate in BC TEL's case as BC TEL customers currently do have the ability to sectionalize trouble with inside wire to one side of the demarcation point;
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WHEREAS BC TEL submitted that the current Wiring Guide is intended to assist in the pre-wiring of residences and therefore has a limited distribution;
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WHEREAS BC TEL indicated that the company intends to notify customers of changes to inside wire service upon approval of the proposed tariff revisions;
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WHEREAS BC TEL submitted that activity in the marketplace does show that inside wire service is competitive;
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WHEREAS the Commission notes that, for new installations, the Wiring Guides provided by several telephone companies, including BC TEL, indicate that a jack-ended demarcation is the standard configuration;
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WHEREAS the Commission concurs with BCOAPO et al. that competition in inside wire services would be fostered if customers had the ability to sectionalize inside wire trouble to one side of the demarcation point by means of a jack-ended demarcation device;
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WHEREAS the Commission notes that in response to interrogatories the company indicated that, when the company has a technician at a customer premise diagnosing a trouble report, the demarcation device would be upgraded at no charge if the customer requested the upgrade;
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WHEREAS the Commission is of the view that inside wire service charges should not apply where the work results from a trouble report made prior to single-line customer having the ability to sectionalize inside wire trouble to one side of the demarcation point by means of a jack-ended demarcation device;
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WHEREAS the Commission is of the view that customers should be well informed of their options in competitive markets and, in the case of the proposed changes to inside wire service, should receive a billing insert, have access to an up-to-date Wiring Guide, and be informed of inside wire options in their directory and through customer service contacts;
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WHEREAS the Commission is of the view that a jack-ended demarcation device should be provided to customers at no charge when the company has a technician working at a single-line customer's premise; and
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WHEREAS the Commission would be prepared to consider favourably tariff revisions which addressed the concerns which it has identified above -
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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
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The tariff revisions proposed in Tariff Notice 3534 are denied.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General |
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- Date modified: