ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter - 8678-C12-200615578

Letter

File Number: 8678-C12-200615578 

Ottawa, 16 March 2007

To: Interested parties to Public Notice 2006-15

Dear Sir/Madam:

Re:  Review of proposals to dispose of the funds accumulated in the deferral accounts, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2006-15 - Requests for disclosure

This letter addresses requests for the disclosure of information for which confidentiality was claimed in the above-noted proceeding.

The Commission received requests for disclosure of information for which confidentiality was claimed on 19 February 2007 from Peace Region Internet Society and on 26 February 2007 from Bell Canada, TELUS Communications Company (TELUS), Barrett Xplore Inc. (BXI), the Canadian Association of the Deaf, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Inc., and the Public Interest Law Centre on behalf of Manitoba Keewatinook Okimowin (MKO).   MKO filed a supplemental request for disclosure on 1 March 2007.

On 5 March 2007 , responses to requests for disclosure were received from Bell Canada , TELUS, Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel), BXI, Quebecor M édia inc. on behalf Vidéotron ltée, and Télécommunications Xittel inc.   MTS Allstream Inc. filed responses to requests for disclosure on both 5 March 2007 and 7 March 2007 .   A response to a request for disclosure was also submitted by NRTC Communications on 8 March 2007 .

In some instances, Commission staff notes that the information for which disclosure was requested was either already on the public record, or was subsequently placed on the public record.

Requests for disclosure of information for which confidentiality was claimed are addressed in light of sections 38 and 39 of the Telecommunications Act and section 19 of the CRTC Telecommunications Rules of Procedure (the Rules).  In evaluating a request, an assessment is made as to whether there is any specific direct harm likely to result from the disclosure of the information in question.  In making this evaluation, a number of factors are taken into consideration, including the degree of competition that exists in a particular market or that is expected to occur.   All things being equal, the greater the degree of actual or expected competition, the greater the specific direct harm that could be expected to result from disclosure.   Another factor is the expected usefulness of the information at issue to parties in furthering their competitive position.  In this regard, an important consideration is the degree to which the information at issue is disaggregated.  Generally speaking, the more aggregated the information, the less likelihood that specific direct harm will flow from its disclosure.

Even where specific direct harm may result, this harm must be balanced against, and outweigh the public interest in disclosure in order to qualify for confidentiality.   In certain circumstances, specific direct harm from disclosure may still be outweighed by the public interest in disclosure.

Confidentiality requests are treated on a case-by-case basis and determinations in this instance should not be taken as an indication of the manner in which such matters would be dealt with in the future under different circumstances.

Having regard to the considerations set out above, Commission staff has determined, based on all the material before it, that no specific direct harm would likely result from disclosure, or that the public interest in disclosure outweighs any specific direct harm that might result from disclosure, of the information specified in the Attachment to this letter.

Unless otherwise expressly indicated, parties are to place on the public record all of the information specified in the Attachment by 23 March 2007 , serving a copy on all interested parties by the same date.  These submissions must be received, not merely sent, by that date.

Yours sincerely,

'Original signed by'

Suzanne Bédard
Senior Manager, Tariffs

Encl.

c.c.:   Michel Murray, CRTC, 819-997-9300, michel.murray@crtc.gc.ca

ATTACHMENT

Disclosure of information for which confidentiality was claimed

Bell Canada, 1 September 2006 submission, Appendix 5, Table 1

Bell Canada is to disclose the following information on the public record:

•   Estimated Number of Broadband Subscribers (end of 2017)
•   Present Worth of Annualized Cost (PWAC) Broadband Expansion
•   Present Worth (PW) of Broadband Revenues
•   Total Upfront Capital Expenditures (CapEx)
•   Upfront CapEx per Premise Passed
•   Upfront Capex per Broadband Subscriber

Bell Canada (CRTC)5Dec06-311, Attachments 1-7

Bell Canada is to disclose on the public record the following information for Table 1 in each of Attachments 1 to 7:

•   Estimated Number of Broadband Subscribers (end of 2017)
•   Present Worth of Annualized Cost (PWAC) Broadband Expansion
•   Present Worth (PW) of Broadband Revenues
•   PW   of Uneconomic Cost
•   Total Upfront Capital Expenditures (CapEx)
•   Upfront CapEx per Premise Passed
•   Upfront CapEx per Broadband Subscriber

Bell Canada (CRTC)5Dec06-602

Bell Canada is to provide the Total Present Worth of Annualized Costs (PWAC) on the public record.

TELUS, 19 February 2007 revised proposal, Appendix 4b, Table 1a

TELUS is to disclose the following information on the public record:

•   Number of premises passed
•   Number of subscribers (after 5 years from service introduction)
•   PWAC of costs
•   PW of revenues
•   Total upfront capital expenditures (capex)
•   Upfront capex per premises
•   Upfront capex per subscriber

TELUS(CRTC)5Dec06-201

TELUS is to file a full response to this interrogatory on the public record.

TELUS(CRTC)5Dec06-315, Attachment 1

TELUS is to disclose the following information on the public record for each of Tables 1, 3 and 4:

•   Number of premises passed
•   Number of subscribers (after 5 years from service introduction)
•   PWAC of costs
•   PW of revenues
•   PW   of uneconomic portion of projects (PW costs - PW revenues)
•   Total upfront capital expenditures (capex)
•   Upfront capex per premises
•   Upfront capex per subscriber

MTS Allstream, 20 October 2006 submission, Attachment 1, Page 5, paragraph 11

MTS Allstream is to disclose the following information on the public record:

•   Percent of residential lines to derive number of households
•   Percent of households with a computer
•   Percent of households with a computer that have access to high-speed Internet
•   Percent of business lines to determine number of businesses
•   Number of lines per business
•   Percent of businesses with access to high-speed Internet

MTS Allstream, 20 October 2006 submission, Attachment 2, Table 1

MTS Allstream is to disclose the following information on the public record:

•   Number of subscribers (after 5 years from service introduction)
•   PWAC of Costs
•   PW of revenues
•   Total upfront capital expenditures (capex)
•   Upfront capex per premise
•   Upfront capex per subscriber

MTS Allstream(CRTC)05Dec06-302, -303 and -304

MTS Allstream is to disclose on the public record all Life estimate (LE), Survivor curve (SC) and Working fill (AWFF) values.

MTS Allstream(CRTC)05Dec06-310, Attachment 1

MTS Allstream is to disclose the following information on the public record for Table 1, for each of 310a, 310b, 310c, 310e, 310f, and 310g:

•   Number of subscribers (after 5 years from service introduction)
•   PWAC of costs
•   PW of revenues
•   PW of uneconomic portion of projects
•   Total upfront capital expenditures (capex)
•   Upfront capex per premise
•   Upfront capex per subscriber

Barrett Xplore Inc. (BXI), 19 February 2007 submission

Appendix A (existing areas): BXI is to file on the public record all column headers, and all the information contained in the columns Prov, County, Community, and Currently Served, for all communities identified in Bell Canada's and TELUS' 1 September 2006 proposals

Appendix B (proposed areas): BXI is to file on the public record all column headers, and all the information contained in the columns Prov, County and Community, for all communities identified in TELUS' 1 September 2006 proposal.

Appendix C (maps): BXI is to file on the public record the maps showing i) all information pertaining to communities that BXI currently serves and plans to serve, and that are identified in TELUS' 1 September 2006 proposal, and ii) all information pertaining to communities that BXI currently serves and that are identified in Bell Canada's 1 September 2006 proposal.  

Quebecor Média inc. (QMI), 20 February 2007 submission

Appendix E (maps): QMI is to file on the public record the maps in Appendix E corresponding to the areas where Vidéotron ltée currently offers broadband services and that are identified in Bell Canada 's 1 September 2006 proposal.

Télécommunications Xittel inc. (Xittel), 19 February 2007 submission

Appendix 1 (current/proposed communities): Xittel is to provide an abridged version of this appendix, and disclose on the public record all the information contained in the columns NPA, Nom de la communauté, ESLT, Bande, CLLI du centre de commutation, Municipalité and Description des offres de service actuelles, for all of the communities that are identified in Bell Canada's 1 September 2006 proposal where Xittel currently offers its broadband services, either throughout the community or within portions of the community.

Appendix 2 (maps): Xittel is to disclose on the public record the maps that show the extent of the overlap of Xittel's current broadband serving areas with the communities that are proposed for inclusion in Bell Canada's 1 September 2006 proposal.

Appendix 3 (standard contract): Xittel is to file Appendix 3 on the public record.

EMAIL ADDRESSES:

regulatory.affairs@telus.com ;  document.control@sasktel.sk.ca ;  bell.regulatory@bell.ca ;  iworkstation@allstream.com ;  mgshipley@hotmail.com ;  timkaringrieman@yahoo.ca ;  s.milers.neverlose@hotmail.com ;  richard.mcnicoll@crim.ca ;  AGARAND1@SASKTEL.NET ;  che76.bo@telus.net ;  jacquesracicot@surdite.org ;  chloe.corcoran@usask.ca ;  cbergbusch@sasktel.net ;  xmasflower1257@hotmail.com ;  leonorjohnson@hotmail.com ;  ;  stark.chris@rogers.com ;  Davobergeron@yahoo.ca ;  anderson4200@shaw.ca ;  gphoeppner@shaw.ca ;  takachin_69@ hotmail.com ;  deaftravel11@hotmail.com ;  harveyca21@yahoo.com ;  kdurs@shaw.ca ;  humptyj@hotmail.com ;  ctbelleau@yahoo.ca ;  kdurs@shaw.ca ;  boydmcwilliam@shaw.ca ;  howardn@douglas.bc.ca ;  ramsayrama@shaw.ca ;  bkapsa@cogeco.ca ;  m.gregory@sympatico.ca ;  bcgrey_bear@hotmail.com ;  bsk@valkyrieriders.com ;  morin_sm@yahoo.ca ;  dpingitore@lightspeed.ca ;  sturner99@rogers.com ;  elbrt4@rogers.com ;  tmcampbell@rogers.com ;  shmckinley@rogers.com ;  verstraete@shaw.ca ;  kc.2020@hotmail.com ;  gerichard@rogers.com ;  rikerstarr@yahoo.com ;  sharonkalk@shaw.ca ;  whbford2000@yahoo.com ;  sniven@shaw.ca ;  sp_cathcart@yahoo.ca ;  wilsonchristine@rogers.com ;  rfee34@msn.com ;  cpresley@rogers.com ;  kasearson@rogers.com ;  sg3birley@hotmail.com ;  mlmabarkes@hotmail.com ;  eeadie@mts.net ;  mark@mcsnet.ca ;  justdidit@generation.net ;  ruwruw@gmail.com ;  hmsinet@hmsinet.ca ;  brant.jeffery@mycanopy.net ;  serge@serbernet.com ;  lbcconsulting@hotmail.com ;  deafwanderer@hotmail.com ;  jboutros@globility.ca ;  bettyj@sasktel.net ;  dunkley9@yahoo.com ;  mecbell@rogers.com ;  craigloehr@yahoo.ca ;  whisperingbreeze@hfx.eastlink.ca ;  lizwarren@sasktel.net ;  jeffviguers@nf.sympatico.ca ;  melbablunden@eastlink.ca ;  jlarose.aptn@gmail.com ;  david.watt@rci.rogers.com ;  cataylor@cyberus.ca ;  aliciaponciano@shaw.ca ;  merv.bev.sanders@sasktel.net ;  macinniscarol@hotmail.com ;  alandcharlenequirk@hotmail.com ;  timz24@hotmail.com ;  d_horychun@hotmail.com ;  freedom_1992@hotmail.com ;  jemclaren@rogers.com ;  jonathanguinta@shaw.ca ;  isgeja@hotmail.com ;  merv.bev.sanders@sasktel.net ;  richmane@gov.ns.ca ;  leon.ally.vv@sasktel.net ;  gmkennedy@cogeco.ca ;  justin.debaie@ns.sympatico.ca ;  nmcquaidj@pei.sympatico.ca ;  dar.pam@shaw.ca ;  robert_weppler@msn.com ;  carver@shaw.ca ;  calvinpoortinga@hotmail.com ;  smithtr_@hotmail.com ;  angel_jayden19@hotmail.com ;  sheilapacket@hotmail.com ;  sheilapacket@hotmail.com ;  fordgk@shaw.ca ;  gmkennedy@cogeco.ca ;  waltsask@shaw.ca ;  sophiet@sasktel.net ;  elainemanning@gmail.com ;  dez.rayzak@ontario.ca ;  todd.tobin@statcan.ca ;  ottawadeafcentre@rogers.com ;  newfiedjh@yahoo.com ;  jutta.treviranus@utoronto.ca ;  jeremy.wells@sympatico.ca ;  aaron.walsh@sympatico.ca ;  dmomotiuk@smd.mb.ca ;  adlund@mobility.blackberry.net ;  mpotvin@ccbnational.net ;  kier@cailc.ca ;  laurie@ccdonline.ca ;  dave@damar.net ;  daans@ns.sympatico.ca ;  bmd@accesswave.ca ;  deafmb@mts.net ;  suehanley@fntc.info ;  oadpresident@gmail.com ;  jj@deafontario.ca ;  garyb@neilsquire.ca ;  joweber@accesscomm.ca ;  Silvergirl46@hotmail.com ;  Dodie865@hotmail.com ;  cqda@videotron.ca ;  editt@shaw.ca ;  rmschmid@sasktel.net ;  rlhutchinson@sasktel.net ;  fordgk@shaw.ca ;  wegcap@netidea.com ;  mbach@cacl.ca ;  dennis.mudryk@gov.ab.ca ;  jacki.andre@usask.ca ;  maxine.kinakin@usask.ca ;  John.Mackay@ontario.ca ;  d_stienstra@umanitoba.ca ;  kjdit86@shaw.ca ;  dalebirley@yahoo.ca ;  leona@sdhhs.com ;  rimmer@nlad.org ;  ambudd@rogers.com ;  danrob1000@shaw.ca ;  vchauvet@shaw.ca ;  gmalkowski@chs.ca ;  gkane@stikeman.com ;  lshemrock@reztel.net ;  derek.barr@opensourcesolutions.ca ;  beverley@sentex.ca ;  r.martell@ns.sympatico.ca ;  tdobie@pop.kin.bc.ca ;  westm@douglas.bc.ca ;  jjickels@telus.net ;  masters@widhh.com ;  lunn@bcinternet.net ;  dave@elkvalley.net ;  smacfayd@vcc.ca ;  amadill@hwy16.com ;  bmykle@telus.net ;  kristen.pranzl@gov.bc.ca ;  jodi.birley@gov.bc.ca ;  bruce@sis.ca ;  james@sis.ca ;  terry@netago.ca ;  stacy@digicomts.com ;  boris@coool.ca ;  nratcliffe@skyrydernet.com ;  matthewa@bcwireless.net ;  ine@ccdonline.ca ;  mybow@legalaid.mb.ca ;  regulatory@bell.aliant.ca ;  blackwell@giganomics.ca ;  ronpegfee@telus.net ;  marcia.cummings@rci.rogers.com ;  johnm@barrettxplore.com ;  billm@barrettxplore.com ;  chet@pathcom.ca ;  agaimer@wildroseinternet.ca ;  dma2@telusplanet.net ;  dunbar@johnstonbuchan.com ;  canreg.affairs@alcatel-lucent.com ;  gordonp@lao.on.ca ;  icollins@torontohydro.com ;  dmckeown@viewcom.ca ;  rob.olenick@tbaytel.com ;  lya@lya.com ;  support@bcpiac.com ;  christian.tacit@cybersurf.com ;  lisangus@angustel.ca ;  pris@pris.ca ;  rollie.evans@axia.com ;  cedwards@ccsa.cable.ca ;  reglementation@xittel.net ;  kstevens@execulink.com ;  cathy.moore@cnib.ca ;  jroots@cad.ca ;  dotsofthings@hotmail.com ;  Tho0151@attglobal.net ;  art.hillcox@usask.ca ;  alkanji@yahoo.com ;  chodgins@cad.ca ;  deafmb@mts.net ;  regaffairs@quebecor.com ;  pdowns@nexicom.net ;  andre.labrie@mcc.gouv.qc.ca ;  regmatters@telesat.ca ;  steve@wtccommunications.ca ;  Regulatory@sjrb.ca ;  kurt@chha.on.ca ;  telecom.regulatory@cogeco.com ;  cshaw@nwtel.ca ;