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ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 2011-246

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Ottawa, 14 April 2011

Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership and Bell Canada – Fibre to the Home and Fibre to the Business

File numbers: Bell Aliant Tariff Notice 350 and Bell Canada Tariff Notice 7294

1.         The Commission received ex parte applications by Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership and Bell Canada (collectively, the Bell companies), dated 15 December 2010, proposing to introduce General Tariff item 2350 – Fibre to the Home and Fibre to the Business (FTTH/FTTB).

2.         In Telecom Orders 2011-75 and 2011-76, the Commission approved the Bell companies’ applications on an interim basis, effective 1 March 2011.

3.         The proposed tariff provisions reflect the following:

a.       the characteristics and limitations of 9-1-1 service when local service is provided using fibre optic facilities; and

b.      modifications or limitations to some tariffed calling features when local service is provided using fibre optic facilities (e.g. General Tariff items 2165.3(b), Call Return, and 2165.5(a), Busy Call Return, will not be available).

4.      In their applications, the Bell companies stated that they will provision an Optical Network Termination (ONT) device on the premises of each customer to whom they provide local service using fibre optic facilities. The Bell companies also stated that they will provision an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to ensure a stable flow of power from the customer’s premises to the ONT device and that the UPS provides up to eight hours of backup power during a power outage. The Bell companies noted that the ONT device is similar in nature to devices currently provisioned by other telecommunications service providers (TSPs) for services offered using voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

5.      Among the characteristics and limitations described in the proposed tariff provisions regarding 9-1-1 service, the Bell companies noted that FTTH/FTTB services, including enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) service, will not function during extended power outages once the backup power has been depleted.

6.      The Commission received no comments regarding the applications. The public record of this proceeding, which closed on 30 March 2011, is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings” or by using the file numbers provided above.

7.      The Commission notes the Bell companies’ statement that the ONT device to be provisioned for FTTH/FTTB services is similar to other TSPs’ devices for services offered using VoIP technology. The Commission further notes that the availability, characteristics, and limitations of the 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 services provided by the Bell companies using fibre optic facilities appear to be similar to those of the 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 services provided by other TSPs using VoIP technology (e.g. for both technologies, 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 services cannot be accessed during a power outage once backup power is depleted).

8.      In that regard, the Commission notes that local VoIP service providers’ obligations to notify customers about the limitations of 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 services provided using VoIP technology are set out in Telecom Decisions 2005-21 and 2005-61.

9.      In light of the above, the Commission approves on a final basis the Bell companies’ applications.

Secretary General

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