ARCHIVED - Letter

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Ottawa, 15 January 2010

Our Reference: 8690-C12-200910408

BY E-MAIL

Mr. Denis E. Henry

Vice President

Regulatory and Government Affairs and

Chief of Privacy

Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership

160 Elgin Street, 19th Floor

Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2C4

regulatory@bell.aliant.ca

Mr. David Palmer

Director

Regulatory Affairs

Bell Canada

160 Elgin Street, 19th Floor

Ottawa, Ontario K2P2C4

Bell.regulatory@bell.ca

Re: Revised process dates - Call for comments-Review of the large incumbent local exchange carriers’ support structure service rates, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2009-432, 21 July 2009

Dear Sirs:

On 11 January 2010, Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership, Bell Canada and Télébec, Société en commandite, (collectively, the Companies) requested an extension to the filing date for updated support structure costs. The Companies submitted that, based on their assessments of the workload involved in collecting and analyzing the inputs needed for the updated studies and developing those studies, they would not be able to file the requested information until 8 February 2010.

On 12 January 2010, TELUS Communications Company also indicated that it would not be able to complete its updated cost studies by 18 January 2010 and that it supported the Companies’ request to delay the filing of the information requested by the Commission until 8 February 2010.

On 14 January 2010, Bragg Communications Inc., the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, Cogeco Cable Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., and Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of its affiliate Videotron Ltd. (collectively, the Cable carriers), submitted that an extension to the deadline would contribute to a further delay in the finalization of support structure rates. The Cable carriers proposed that if the extension is granted, the Commission should remove the interim status of support structure rates and make them final at the current levels.

It is noted that no party has opposed extending the deadline for filing the costing information as directed in Review of the large incumbent local exchange carriers’ support structure service rates - requests from cable carriers, Telecom Order CRTC 2009-731, 27 November 2009, to 8 February 2010. In the circumstances, including the extent of the information requested of the ILECs, Commission staff considers that an extension to the filing deadline is appropriate.

Further, the issue raised by the Cable Carriers to make support structure rates final will be dealt with by separate letter.

Accordingly, the deadlines set out in the Commission staff’s 10 December 2009 letter are revised as follows:

The Commission and interested parties may address interrogatories to the ILECs regarding their submissions and cost studies. Any such interrogatories must be filed with the Commission and served on the relevant interested party or parties by 1st March 2010.
Responses to interrogatories are to be filed with the Commission and served on all interested parties by 17 March 2010.
Requests by interested parties for further responses to their interrogatories, specifying in each case why a further response is both relevant and necessary, and requests for public disclosure of information for which confidentiality has been claimed, setting out in each case the reasons for disclosure, must be filed with the Commission and served on the relevant interested party or parties by 26 March 2010.
Written responses to requests for further responses to interrogatories and for public disclosure must be filed with the Commission and served on the interested party or parties making the request by 2 April 2010. The Commission may address further interrogatories to the ILECs by the same date.
Determinations will be issued regarding requests for further information and public disclosure as soon as possible. Any information to be provided pursuant to such determinations must be filed with the Commission and served on all interested parties by 16 April 2010. Responses to the Commission's further interrogatories are to be filed with the Commission and served on all interested parties by the same date.
All interested parties may file written comments with the Commission on any matter within the scope of this proceeding, serving copies on all other interested parties, by 3 May 2010.
All interested parties may file reply comments with the Commission, serving copies on all other interested parties, by 12 May 2010.