ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 2010-914

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Ottawa, 6 December 2010

Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership and Bell Canada – Wireless Service Provider Enhanced 9-1-1 Service

File numbers: Bell Aliant Tariff Notices 271 and 310                           
                     Bell Canada Tariff Notices  7208 and 7247

Introduction

1.         On 4 June 2009, Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership and Bell Canada (collectively, the Bell companies) filed Tariff Notices 271 and 7208, respectively, requesting approval for their revised Special Facilities Tariff item G21, Wireless Service Provider Enhanced 9-1-1 Service (WSP E9-1-1 Service).[1] The Bell companies filed these applications pursuant to certain requirements set out in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2009-40, in which the Commission mandated all incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) to file proposed revised WSP E9-1-1 Service tariffs associated with the implementation of Phase II Stage 1 of that service.[2] The Commission approved the applications, including the Bell companies’ proposed monthly rate of $0.0039 per wireless telephone number associated with the Phase II Stage 1 element of the service, on an interim basis in Telecom Order 2009-375, effective 4 August 2009.

2.         On 25 March 2010, the Bell companies filed Tariff Notices 310 and 7247, proposing additional changes to their WSP E9-1-1 Service. The Bell companies submitted that since completing the implementation of Phase II Stage 1 of the service, they had reassessed the associated costs and determined that the originally proposed rate was not sufficient to recover these costs. As a result, the Bell companies proposed a revised monthly rate of $0.0075 per wireless telephone number associated with the Phase II Stage 1 element of the service and requested that Tariff Notices 310 and 7247 be approved with an effective date of 25 April 2010.

3.         The Commission received comments regarding the Bell companies’ applications from Rogers Wireless Inc. (RWI). The public record of this proceeding, which closed on 28 May 2010, is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings” or by using the file numbers provided above.

Should the Commission approve the applications on a final basis?

4.         RWI submitted that the Bell companies had proposed to double the rate approved in Telecom Order 2009-375 mere months after their initial filings and questioned how they could have underestimated their costs by such a wide margin. RWI also submitted that the Bell companies had not filed enough detailed costing information to justify the increase and that the study period should be 10 years since the technology associated with providing the Phase II Stage 1 element of WSP E9-1-1 Service is considered state of the art and, therefore, would not likely be replaced in the foreseeable future.

5.         The Bell companies replied that they could not state with certainty which technology they would be using in five years and that, consequently, forecasting capital and other expenditures beyond the study period would be speculative. The Bell companies also noted that they used a study period that had been previously approved by the Commission in Telecom Order 2009-375 and that the use of a 10-year study period would have little impact on the costs of their WSP E9-1-1 Service.

6.         The Commission is not persuaded that current 9-1-1 platform technology will still be used beyond the five-year study period. The Commission also notes that study periods proposed by the other ILECs in support of their tariff applications for the same service range between three and five years.

7.         In light of the above, the Commission considers that the Bell companies’ proposed study period is appropriate.

8.         The Commission has reviewed the Bell companies’ cost estimates and finds them to be appropriate. The Commission also finds that the associated proposed rates are just and reasonable. Finally, the Commission agrees with the requested effective date of 25 April 2010 for the proposed rate increase.

9.         In light of the above, the Commission approves on a final basis Tariff Notices 271 and 7208 for the period from 4 August 2009 to 24 April 2010, and Tariff Notices 310 and 7247 effective 25 April 2010.

Secretary General

Related documents

• Telecom Order CRTC 2009-375, 19 June 2009
• Implementation of wireless Phase II E9-1-1 service, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2009-40, 2 February 2009

Date modified:

2010-12-06