ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 2003-50

Telecom Order CRTC 2003-50

Ottawa, 27 January 2003

TELUS Communications Inc.

Reference: Tariff Notice 55

Call Routing - Location Routing Number Absent

1.

The Commission received an application by TELUS Communications Inc. (TCI), dated 30 May 2002, to add item 209, Call Routing - Location Routing Number (LRN) Absent, to its Carrier Access Tariff (CAT).

2.

TCI proposed to amalgamate, under CAT item 209, the former TCI's CAT item 280, Call Routing LRN Absent, and sections of the former TELUS Communications (B.C.) Inc.'s CAT item 115 that relate specifically to the Call Routing - LRN Absent service: Local Number Portability, 10 Digit Global Title Translation and Access to Service Control Point.

3.

TCI indicated that it had proposed to align the Call Routing - LRN Absent monthly rates for British Columbia and Alberta on a revenue neutral basis by weight-averaging the existing rates.

4.

TCI also proposed, as part of the amalgamation, to revise the former TCI's CAT item 280. TCI stated that, as an oversight, in the former TCI CAT item 280, it had restricted the rate per line-side DS-0 to only one-way DS-0 trunks. TCI submitted that in accordance with Final rates for call routing - Local routing number absent service, Order CRTC 2000-394, 12 May 2000 (Order 2000-394), the monthly line-side charge for Call Routing - LRN Absent should apply to all line-side circuits using multi-frequency signaling employed by interconnecting carriers, whenever the LRN information is not transferred. TCI proposed, in CAT item 209, that the rate per line-side DS-0 apply to all line-side interconnection circuits.

5.

The Commission received comments from Rogers Wireless Inc. (RWI) on 24 June 2002. RWI requested that the Commission deny TCI's proposal to have the rate per one-way line-side DS-0 apply to all line-side interconnection circuits.

6.

RWI stated that, based on the evidence available to it on the public record, it had concluded that TCI had provided a supporting economic analysis for the one-way line-side trunks and that no such analysis was performed for two-way line-side trunks. RWI submitted that if the analysis for a two-way line-side trunk had been performed, it would have yielded a lower charge than the charge for a one-way line-side trunk. RWI further stated that in the case of the monthly charges applicable for trunk-side trunks, the charge for two-way trunks is about 60% of the charge for one-way trunks.

7.

RWI argued that the application of the one-way line-side trunk rate for two-way line-side trunks would over-compensate TCI for its costs and would be inconsistent with the rates applied for trunk-side trunks.

8.

In reply, TCI argued that its application did not introduce a rate change for line-side trunks, but rather, was intended to correct an error made in the former TCI's CAT
item 280. TCI submitted that in Order 2000-394, the Commission approved rates for Call Routing - LRN Absent service for all incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs).

9.

TCI further submitted that the original demand forecast that was included in the economic evaluation study filed in support of CAT item 280 did not distinguish between one-way and two-way trunks and was, in fact, all-inclusive. TCI stated that CAT item 280 inadvertently showed that the line-side monthly rate applied only to one-way trunks.

10.

The Commission notes that the other ILEC's tariff charges for line-side interconnecting trunks for Call Routing - LRN Absent service apply to all line-side trunks and do not distinguish between one-way and two-way trunks.

11.

The Commission finds that it is necessary for TCI's tariff to be modified to include the provision for two-way line-side interconnecting trunks, since without this modification no tariff would exist to satisfy the requirements of Order 2000-394. The Commission considers that TCI has addressed the deficiency in its tariffs by adopting the rate, which exists for one-way trunks, noting that this rate had initially been determined based on total demand for line-side interconnecting trunks.

12.

The Commission accepts TCI's submission that the initial analysis filed in support of the rate for Call Routing - LRN Absent line-side interconnecting circuits included demand associated with two-way trunks. The Commission notes that Bell Canada's current rate per month for line-side interconnecting trunks is $4.95 and considers the former TCI's CAT item 280 rate of $5.10 to be reasonable.

13.

In light of the above, the Commission is of the view that the proposed rate amalgamations identified under item 209 are appropriate. Accordingly, the Commission approves TCI's application. The revisions take effect as of 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: http://www.crtc.gc.ca