ARCHIVED -  Telecom Order CRTC 99-142

Telecom Order

Ottawa, 22 February 1999

Telecom Order CRTC 99-142

By letter dated 11 November 1998 Télécom Outaouais inc. (Télécom Outaouais) applied for exemption from contribution, and attached two affidavits. The first affidavit affirmed that certain Centrex services in the Hull, Ottawa, Gatineau, Buckingham and Aylmer exchanges are used solely to provide single-hop or local services. The second affidavit affirmed that certain business lines in the 819-777 exchange are used solely for administrative purposes.

File No.: 8626-T33-01/98

1.By letter dated 14 December 1998, Bell Canada (Bell) noted that the first affidavit appeared to be in response to Telecom Order CRTC 98-978 dated 6 October 1998 (Order 98-978). Bell stated that in Order 98-978, the Commission granted advance approval of a contribution exemption subject to Télécom Outaouais providing a revised affidavit, within 30 days after the installation of its first system, identifying the Centrex systems and affirming that they are arranged in a manner to limit Télécom Outaouais' services to local or single-hop configurations. Bell stated that it has reviewed the affidavit and noted that it appears to satisfy the requirements of Order 98-978. Therefore, Bell assumed that this completes the record with respect to Order 98-978.

2.Bell noted that the second affidavit affirmed that certain business lines in the 819-777 exchange are used solely for administrative purposes. Since the Commission has not granted a contribution exemption to Télécom Outaouais for administrative circuits, Bell assumed that this second affidavit constitutes a new application for exemption with respect to these circuits.

3.Bell stated that it has reviewed the affidavit and noted that it generally appears to satisfy the evidentiary requirements, except that it is deficient in one respect. Bell stated that pursuant to Telecom Order CRTC 97-590 dated 1 May 1997, administrative circuits which are directly connected to a service provider's interexchange network are subject to contribution charges. Accordingly, Bell submitted that approval of Télécom Outaouais' exemption request should be subject to the requirement for Télécom Outaouais to include a clause in its affidavit affirming that the services are not directly connected to an interexchange network operated by Télécom Outaouais or to an interexchange network of another service provider.

4.In light of the foregoing, Bell agreed with the requested exemption, subject to Télécom Outaouais filing a revised affidavit as noted above.

5.By letter dated 12 January 1999, Télécom Outaouais filed a revised affidavit dated 12 January 1999 which included Bell's suggestion as described above.

6.The Commission is of the view that the first affidavit satisfies the requirements of Order 98-978 and that this completes the record with respect to Order 98-978.

7.The Commission is of the view that the second revised affidavit satisfies the evidentiary requirements with respect to administrative circuits.

8.In light of the foregoing:

(i) the first affidavit satisfies the requirements of, and completes the record for, Order 98-978; and

(ii) Télécom Outaouais' application with respect to administrative circuits is approved effective the date of installation, such that no contribution is payable.

Secretary General

This document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be viewed at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca