ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter - 8620-C12-200617227

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Letter

Ottawa, 1 February 2007

File No.: 8620-C12-200617227

BY E-MAIL

Ms. Dawn Hunt
Vice-President, Regulatory - Telecom
Rogers Communications Inc.
333 Bloor Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 1G9

dawn.hunt@rci.rogers.com

Dear Ms. Hunt:

Re:   Provision of Wireless 9-1-1 Service in Saskatchewan

In Conditions of service for wireless competitive local exchange carriers and for emergency services offered by wireless service providers , Telecom Decision CRTC 2003-53, 12 August 2003 (Decision 2003-53), the Commission made determinations on issues relating to the provision of 9-1-1 services by wireless service providers (WSPs).  

The Commission concluded that wireless carriers could operate as wireless competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) in communities where either no 9-1-1 service is offered or where only basic 9-1-1 service is offered.   In such communities, the wireless CLEC must provide a level of 9-1-1 service that is comparable to that provided by the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC).

To enhance public safety, the Commission also required WSPs to provide wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) service to their subscribers in communities where wireless E9-1-1 network access service is available from an ILEC.

Commission staff is in receipt of a letter dated 18 September 2006 from Rogers Wireless Partnership (Rogers) in which the company indicated, among other things, that Decision 2003-53 was worded in such a way that it does not allow a wireless CLEC, such as Fido, to operate as a CLEC using basic 9-1-1 service where an ILEC offers wireline E9-1-1 and has not yet offered a tariff for WSP E9-1-1.

Commission staff notes that the specific intent of Decision 2003-53, with respect to public safety obligations for wireless CLECs and WSPs, was to allow WSPs to operate as wireless CLECs in communities where either no 9-1-1 service is offered or where only basic 9-1-1 service is offered.   Commission staff is of the view that there is nothing in Decision 2003-53 that precludes a WSP to operate as a wireless CLEC, using basic wireless 9-1-1 service, in an area where wireless E9-1-1 service is not available, even in the case when the ILEC is providing wireline E9-1-1 service.   Consistent with Decision 2003-53, such a wireless CLEC would be required to deploy wireless E9-1-1 when the service becomes available.

Commission staff also notes the 18 December 2006 letter received from Public Safety and Sask911, indicating a target start date of October or November 2007 for wireless E9-1-1 service in Saskatchewan.   As well, Commission staff notes the letter from Saskatchewan Telecommunications Inc. (SaskTel) dated 2 November 2006, in which the company stated that it had initiated, and would prioritize, an internal project to evaluate the changes needed to implement a Phase 1 wireless E9-1-1 service and to provide test data to the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to support their process and system evaluations.   By copy of the present letter, SaskTel is requested to provide the Commission with an update, by 30 April 2007 , on the progress realized toward the implementation of wireless E9-1-1 service in Saskatchewan .   This update should account for the progress realized by SaskTel, Sask911, and the PSAPs.

Sincerely,

'Original signed by S. Bédard '

Suzanne Bédard
Senior Manager, Tariffs
Telecommunications

cc.:    Michel Murray, CRTC (819) 997-9300
         James Ndirangu, CRTC (819) 997-3670
         Peter McCallum, CRTC (819) 953-2197
         W.N. (Bill) Beckman, SaskTel document.control@sasktel.sk.ca
         Maureen Schmidt, Public Safety and Sask911 mschmidt@cps.gov.sk.ca

Date Modified: 2007-02-01
Date modified: