ARCHIVED - Order CRTC 2000-583

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Order CRTC 2000-583

Ottawa, 20 June 2000

Ontario Telephone Association interim 2000 Carrier Access Tariffs

Reference: Tariff Notices 60 and 60A
The Commission approves, on an interim basis, 2000 Carrier Access Tariff rates for the members of the Ontario Telephone Association, effective 1 January 2000.

1.

On 30 November 1999, Ontario Telephone Association (OTA) filed, on behalf of its members, proposed interim 2000 Carrier Access Tariff (CATs), which ranged between $0.0713 and $0.1495 per minute.

2.

On 21 January 2000, OTA filed, on behalf of two of its members, revised interim 2000 CATs to reflect local rate increases approved by the Commission after 30 November 1999.

Proposed interim 2000 CAT

2000 Contribution eligible minutes

3.

OTA's 2000 contribution and direct toll minutes decreased on average 13.4% over 1999, with individual companies ranging between no change to a decrease of 30%.

4.

Bell Canada submitted that the 2000 minute forecasts had not been agreed to and that the final 1999 minutes should be used to set the interim 2000 CAT rates.

5.

OTA replied that the 2000 minute forecasts were developed based on actual 1999 minute data received from Bell Canada and the estimated impact of the Natural Calling Centers (NCCs) rolled out during 1999.

6.

Call-Net Entreprises Inc. noted that, for 13 of 19 companies, the proposed interim 2000 CATs exceeded the proposed final 1999 CATs, that the CATs were unacceptably high and that they should not be approved.

7.

OTA replied that the 1999 CAT rates were established without an adjustment for the NCCs implemented during 1999, that the 2000 minutes reflect a full year's NCC impact and that it was the minute decreases that were making the interim 2000 CATs higher than the 1999 CATs.

8.

Given NCCs were implemented in 1999, the Commission does not agree with Bell Canada, that the interim 2000 CATs should be set using the final 1999 minutes.

9.

However, the Commission is concerned with some of the large minute decreases identified by OTA, especially given the NCC impacts identified in the various companies' NCC tariff filings.

10.

In light of the above, the Commission considers that OTA's interim 2000 CATs should be established based on the final 1999 minutes reduced by the toll minute estimates contained in the various companies' NCC tariff filings, where provided. For those companies that did not provide NCC toll minutes, the Commission has used OTA's proposed minutes.

2000 Contribution requirements and rates

11.

OTA calculated its members' contribution requirements as the proposed final 1999 contribution requirement, after accounting for local rate increases.

12.

The Commission considers OTA's proposed interim 2000 contribution requirements to be reasonable.

13.

However, based on the determinations made in Order CRTC 2000-554, dated 19 June 2000, adjustments are required to the contribution requirements to account for the change in the Phase III assignment of the OTA administration fee.

14.

The contribution rates should then be calculated using the NCC adjusted 1999 minutes, identified in paragraph 10 above. Appendix A provides the interim 2000 contribution rates.

2000 Direct toll components and rates

15.

OTA proposed direct toll components based on the proposed final 1999 direct toll components, after accounting for the estimated impact of the billing and collection tariffs approved by the Commission, effective 1 January 2000.

16.

The Commission considers OTA's proposed interim 2000 direct toll components to be reasonable.

17.

However, based on the determinations made in Order 2000-554, adjustments are required to the direct toll components to account for the change in the Phase III assignment of the OTA administration fee.

18.

The direct toll rates should then be calculated using the NCC adjusted 1999 minutes, identified in paragraph 10 above. Appendix A provides the interim 2000 direct toll rates.

Implementation

19.

In light of the above, the Commission:
a) approves, on an interim basis, the 2000 contribution and direct toll rates contained in the Appendix A, effective 1 January 2000; and
b) directs OTA to issue revised CAT tariff pages within 15 days.
Secretary General
This document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be examined at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca

Appendix A

Ontario Telephone Association Member Companies Interim 2000 contribution rate Interim 2000 direct toll rate
Amtelecom Inc. $0.0534 $0.0410
Brooke Telecom Co-operative Ltd. $0.0835 $0.0349
Gosfield North Communications Co-Operative Limited $0.0505 $0.0355
Hay Communications Co-operative Limited $0.0528 $0.0463
Huron Telecommunications Co-Operative Limited $0.0419 $0.0437
Hurontario Telephones Limited $0.0705 $0.0236
Lansdowne Rural Telephone Co. Ltd. $0.0573 $0.0226
Mornington Communications Co-operative Limited $0.0683 $0.0409
Nexicom Telecommunications Inc. $0.0511 $0.0413
Nexicom Telephones Inc. $0.0934 $0.0286
North Frontenac Telephone Co. $0.0641 $0.0327
North Renfrew Telephone Company Limited $0.0719 $0.0181
People's Telephone Company of Forest Inc. $0.0676 $0.0177
Quadro Communications Co-operative Inc. $0.1155 $0.0339
Roxborough Telephone Company Limited $0.0651 $0.0148
The South Bruce Rural Telephone Company Limited $0.0637 $0.0280
Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative Limited $0.0330 $0.0315
Westport Telephone Company Limited $0.0740 $0.0218
Wightman Telephone Limited $0.0562 $0.0279

 Date Modified: 2000-06-20

Date modified: