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Telecom Order CRTC 2008-320 |
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Ottawa, 24 November 2008 |
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Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership, Bell Canada, and TELUS Communications Company - Local exchange service and payphone access line service |
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Reference: Bell Aliant Tariff Notice 187
Bell Canada Tariff Notice 7129
Former TCBC Tariff Notices 4306 and 4306A
TCC Tariff Notices 307, 307A, and 308
Former TCI Tariff Notices 609, 609A, and 609B |
1. |
The Commission received applications by Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership and Bell Canada (collectively, Bell Canada et al.), both dated 7 May 2008, in which they proposed revisions to their respective General Tariffs in order to modify item 70 - Rate Schedules for Primary Exchange (Local) Service and item 315 - Pay Telephone Basic Access Line Service. |
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Specifically, Bell Canada et al. proposed to remove references to rate bands where the Commission has forborne from regulating business and/or residential local exchange service for all exchanges within that rate band. Bell Canada et al. also proposed to remove references to rate bands that do not apply to any exchanges within each of their operating territories and to provide explicit rates for basic payphone access line (PAL) service at 75 percent of the business rates that were in place just prior to forbearance. Bell Canada et al. indicated that simplifying these tariffs would clearly and concisely identify the rates for regulated services provided in their operating territories. |
3. |
The Commission received several applications by TELUS Communications Company (TCC), dated 12 June 2008 and modified on 16 and 22 July 2008, in which the company proposed to identify the bands or sub-bands where the Commission had forborne from regulating business1 and/or residential local exchange service for all exchanges within a rate band and, therefore, where regulated rates no longer apply. |
4. |
The Commission also received an application by TCC,2 dated 16 June 2008, in which TCC proposed revisions to its Carrier Access Tariff item 216 - Pay Telephone Access Line Service, to explicitly set out rates for this service in certain rate bands where the Commission had forborne from regulating business local exchange service for all exchanges within the rate band. Like Bell Canada et al., TCC proposed to set the PAL rates at 75 percent of the business rates that were in place just prior to forbearance. |
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In Telecom Order 2008-242, the Commission considered that Bell Canada et al.'s and TCC's applications, including their proposals to specify the rates for PAL service, were reasonable and acceptable, and approved them on an interim basis. In that Order, the Commission, however, sought parties' comments on Bell Canada et al.'s and TCC's proposals to use business rates that were in place just prior to forbearance for PAL service when references to rate bands are removed. The Commission also allowed parties to propose alternative methodologies for establishing rates for PAL service that is provided where the Commission has forborne from regulating business local exchange services for all exchanges within a rate band. |
6. |
The Commission received comments from Télébec, Limited Partnership (Télébec), Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel), and Bell Canada et al. The public record of this proceeding, which closed on 8 October 2008, is available on the Commission's website at www.crtc.gc.ca under "Public Proceedings." |
7. |
The Commission notes that Télébec and SaskTel supported Bell Canada et al.'s and TCC's proposals to use rates for PAL service equal to those that were in place just prior to forbearance when references to rate bands are removed. The Commission notes that no parties objected to these proposals or suggested alternative methodologies. |
8. |
In light of the above, the Commission approves on a final basis Bell Canada et al.'s and TCC's applications. |
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Secretary General |
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Related documents |
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- Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership, Bell Canada, and TELUS Communications Company - Local exchange service and payphone access line service, Telecom Order CRTC 2008-242, 29 August 2008
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- The relevant product market for Centrex and Enhanced Exchange Wide Dial services for the purposes of forbearance from regulation, Telecom Decision CRTC 2008-10, 31 January 2008
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- List of services within the scope of the proceeding on forbearance from the regulation of local exchange services, Telecom Decision CRTC 2005-35, 15 June 2005, as amended by Telecom Decision CRTC 2005-35-1, 14 July 2005
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- Forbearance from regulation of local exchange services, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2005-2, 28 April 2005
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This document is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined in PDF format or in HTML at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca |
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Footnotes:
In Telecom Decision 2005-35, the Commission identified the initial list of business exchange services that would be eligible for forbearance in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Public Notice 2005-2. In Telecom Decision 2008-10, the Commission forbore from regulating Centrex services.
TCC Tariff Notice 308 |