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Ottawa, 29 October 1998
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Telecom Order CRTC 98-1076
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BC TEL has proposed revisions, dated 30 July 1998, to its SmartTouch services for the introduction of a new promotional offer called "Complete Choice Promotion". Under the proposed promotion, customers who use BC TEL as their Local Exchange Carrier would be able to subscribe to any number of SmartTouch services at a fixed monthly rate for a period of up to one year. Customers who have also chosen BC TEL as their Primary Exchange Carrier could subscribe to those features for the same maximum one-year period at a further reduced rate. BC TEL has proposed a 12-month period for enrolment in the promotion.
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File No.: Tariff Notice 3835
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1.Call-Net Enterprises Inc. (Call-Net), indicated in comments it submitted that barriers to local competition are particularly significant in the residential sector of the local market, and that allowing BC TEL to bundle local services with other competitive services would have deleterious effects on the introduction of local competition. Call-Net submitted that the Commission should not approve the bundled services that BC TEL is proposing or other similar services offered by Stentor member companies, until the barriers to facilities-based local competition are largely eliminated. Call-Net also submitted that pending the outcome of the joint application to review and vary a portion of Joint Marketing and Bundling, Telecom Decision CRTC 98-4, 24 March 1998, the Commission should not give BC TEL Tariff Notice (TN) 3835 interim or final approval.
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2.BC TEL indicated in reply that its residential lines may be pre-selected to any long distance carrier and that the company's SmartTouch services are available for resale on a stand-alone basis. Thus, according to BC TEL, Call-Net could make a promotional offering similar to Complete Choice.
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3.The Commission notes that it continues to consider, on a case-by-case basis, all bundled offerings submitted by Stentor member companies which include a tariffed component.
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4.In this particular case, the Commission considers the combined enrolment period and reduced monthly rate period to be too long. The Commission considers it appropriate that the total period not exceed 12 months.
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5.In light of the above, BC TEL TN 3835 is approved, effective 2 November 1998, subject to changes, such that customers will have up to six months from the effective date of this Order to take advantage of the proposed promotional rates, which rates are to remain in effect for no more than six months from the date of enrolment.
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Secretary General
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This document is available in alternative format upon request.
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