ARCHIVED - Letter

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Ottawa, 6 March 2009

File No : 8665-C12-200807943

By e-mail

To: Distribution List (attached)

Re: Unresolved issues related to the accessibility of telecommunications and broadcasting services for persons with disabilities, Broadcasting Notices of Public Hearing CRTC 2008-8 and 2008-8-1 and Telecom Public Notices CRTC 2008-8 and 2008-8-1

PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATIONS FOR FINAL COSTS

The Commission has recently received applications for final costs from parties to the PN 2008-8 proceeding, which are now posted on the Commission's website. In anticipation of a number of additional applications for final costs, I am writing to review the costs procedures.

I remind all parties that, consistent with the initial notice of consultation and the letter from Commission staff dated 2 July 2008, parties are not required to serve documents on all other parties when filing a document with the Commission. Posting on the Commission's website is considered notice to all parties. Parties are therefore reminded to consult the record of this proceeding on the Commission’s website on a frequent basis.

As per section 44(3) of the CRTC Telecommunications Rules of Procedure, parties have 10 days from the date of service of the application to file an answer with the Secretary General and serve a copy thereof on the applicant for costs. Similarly, the costs applicant has 10 days to submit a reply to the answer. Because of the modified procedure, the 10 days will run from the date of posting on the Commission's website, which in most cases will be within two days of the date of receipt. As the deadline for applying for costs is 10 March 2009, several applications have already been received and are posted on the Commission’s website.

Costs applicants are encouraged to consult the Guide to Costs Applications posted on the Commission's website at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/guide080728.htm. In particular, parties seeking costs are reminded that, because the Commission has the power to award costs under the Telecommunications Act but not the Broadcasting Act, costs are available only for work and other expenses associated with submissions on telecommunications-related issues. Applicants who have not already indicated how much of the work for which costs are claimed is related to telecommunications are asked to provide this information as soon as possible.

Please note that due to a staffing change, Jennifer Eustace is no longer available for assistance with filing documents or accommodation with regard to the procedures for submitting applications for costs. Parties are invited to contact the Commission toll free by telephone at 1-877-249-2782 or by TTY at 1-877-909-2782 should they require assistance or accommodation with regard to costs applications. Assistance with e-pass is available toll free by telephone at 1-866-893-0932 or by TTY at 1-877-909-2782.

Sincerely,

Martine Vallee
Director, Social Policy

2008-8 Accessibility Distribution List /

Liste de distribution – Accessibilité 2008-8

PARTIES

EMAILS

Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC)

mworkman@blindcanadians.ca

ARCH Disability Law Centre

p_gordon@rogers.com

kerznel@lao.on.ca

Astral Media

semond@corp.astral.com

Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership (including all of its mobile/wireless operations), Bell Canada and Bell Mobility, Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership and Télébec, Société en commandite

regulatory@bell.aliant.ca

bell.regulatory@bell.ca

Bragg Communications Incorporated (EastLink)

deborah.shaffner@corp.eastlink.ca

natalie.macdonald@corp.eastlink.ca

Canadian Association of Broadcasters

jthomson@cab-acr.ca

Canadian Association of the Deaf

jroots@cad.ca

Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Inc.

cedwards@ccsa.cable.ca

Canadian Council of the Blind