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Ottawa, 21 July 1998
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Telecom Order CRTC 98-717
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On 12 June 1998, Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) filed an application for approval of tariff revisions to General Tariff Item 207, Exchange Rates, Item 210, Digital Exchange Access, Item 807, Centrex II Service and Item 1408, Ruraltel, providing for a rebalancing of local and long distance rates by increasing its local access rates by 4$ and offsetting this increase with long distance rate reductions on a revenue neutral basis.
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File No.: Tariff Notice 664
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1.This application was filed pursuant to Northwestel Inc. - Interconnection of Interexchange Carriers and Related Resale and Sharing Issues, Telecom Decision CRTC 98-1 dated 11 February 1998 (Decision 98-1).
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2.Northwestel submitted that the toll rate reductions will: 1) move Northwestel's message toll rates closer to the basic rates offered in the south; 2) reduce the disparity in rates between the company's eastern and western operating areas; and 3) reduce the schedules most likely to be targeted through bypass.
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3.The Commission received comments from the Utilities Consumers' Group (UCG) on 12 July 1998.
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4.UCG raised a number of concerns and requested that consideration of Tariff Notice (TN) 664 be deferred until the company had provided responses to UCG's interrogatories submitted in the High Cost Serving Area proceeding.
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5.The company replied to UCG's comments on 13 July 1998.
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6.The Commission notes that TN 664 was filed pursuant Decision 98-1 wherein the issue of rate rebalancing was considered at length.
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7.Given this, the Commission is not persuaded that consideration of TN 664 should be deferred and finds that the proposed rates are appropriate.
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8.In light of the foregoing, the Commission orders that the proposed tariff revisions to become effective on 1 August 1998 be approved.
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Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General
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This document is available in alternative format upon request.
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