ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 2002-106

Telecom Order CRTC 2002-106

Ottawa, 27 February 2002

Aliant Telecom Inc., NBTel Inc. and NewTel Communications Inc. - Replacing tariff subscription services with Internet delivery

Reference: Aliant Telecom tariff notice (TN) 5A, APTC TN 46, NBTel TN 868,
NewTel TNs 661 and 661A

On 26 November 2001, Aliant Telecom Inc. (Aliant Telecom) filed applications proposing revisions under Atlantic Provinces Telecommunications Council (APTC) tariff notice (TN) 46, NBTel Inc. (NBTel) TN 868 and NewTel Communications Inc. (NewTel) TN 661. Aliant Telecom filed the applications to revise NBTel General Tariff CRTC 12001, Item 25; NBTel Special Services Tariff CRTC 12002, Item 1002; NewTel General Tariff CRTC 13001, Item 30; and APTC Regional Services Tariff CRTC 27750, Item 10. Aliant Telecom proposed to replace the companies' tariff subscription (paper version) service with a publicly available, no-charge service, at each company's Internet web sites through www.aliant.ca.

2.

On 21 December 2001, Aliant Telecom filed NewTel TN 661A requesting the withdrawal of NewTel CRTC Exchange Tariff 13002 and Commission approval to allow a one-time refund of any outstanding subscription remaining for the former tariff page update Paper Subscription Services of each of the companies as of 31 December 2001. Notwithstanding the proposed refund, Aliant Telecom proposed to continue the paper-copy tariff updates of each of the companies to these customers for a six-month period from the approved effective date of this tariff application.

3.

On 31 January 2002, Aliant Telecom filed TN 5A to introduce Item 604, Competitor Information Requests, relating to exchange maps. In TN 5A, Aliant Telecom also requested an exemption from introducing a paper-based tariff page subscription service, as required by Article 12 of the CRTC Tariff Regulations, for the new Aliant Telecom General Tariff, CRTC 21491 Tariff.

4.

The Commission notes that, except for two proposed changes as discussed below, the proposals are consistent with those approved in Order CRTC 2000-552, Bell Canada's replacement for tariff subscription service approved for Internet delivery, dated 16 June 2000, Order CRTC 2000-673, MTT's and Island Tel's replacement for tariff subscription service approved for Internet delivery, dated 19 July 2000, and Order CRTC 2001-465 for TELUS Communications Inc., dated 14 June 2001.

5.

Under Aliant Telecom's proposal, it would delete from the NBTel and NewTel tariff subscription services the provision of "individual tariff pages, in excess of 10 pages, charged at a rate of $1 per page" and delete from the APTC tariff subscription service the provision that individual tariff pages, other than those furnished as part of a complete tariff or as part of the annual updates, are available at the charges specified in each carrier's General Tariff.

6.

The Commission considers that Aliant Telecom, NBTel and NewTel should continue to retain the sections in their respective tariffs that relate to the provision of individual tariff pages as noted above. Aliant Telecom, NBTel and NewTel are to retain the sections in their respective tariffs that relate to the provision of individual tariff pages.

7.

The Commission notes that, according to Item 604 of TN 5A, Aliant Telecom makes exchange maps available for all four of the Aliant Telecom regions of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Aliant Telecom will provide a customer with one paper copy of any of its exchange maps free of charge. Additional copies and/or additional exchanges will be provided based on the expenses incurred by the company.

8.

Aliant Telecom included the following wording in Item 604:

Aliant Telecom Inc. may refuse to provide a free paper-copy, as outlined above, to a customer when, in the company's opinion there is an attempt by the customer to abuse the free paper-copy.

9.

The Commission considers that this wording should be deleted as the tariff is clear that a customer is entitled to one paper copy of Aliant Telecom's exchange maps free of charge.

10.

Therefore, subject to the changes noted above, the Commission approves Aliant Telecom's proposed tariff revisions.

11.

These revisions take effect as of two days from the date of this order.

Secretary General

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