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Ottawa, 21 June 2011
File No: 8740-B54-201109208
BY E-MAIL
Mr. Denis E. Henry
Vice-President – Regulatory, Government and Public Law
Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership
160 Elgin Street, 19th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2C4
regulatory@bell.aliant.ca
RE: Tariff Notice 372 – Price Cap framework for large incumbent local exchange carriers
Dear Sir:
On 7 June 2011, the Commission received the above-mentioned tariff notice from Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership (Bell Aliant), in which the company proposed, among other things, modifications to its General Tariff item 70, Rate schedule for primary exchange (local) service. Bell Aliant submitted this application pursuant to Obligation to serve and other matters, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2011-291, 3 May 2011 (Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-291), and Price cap framework for large incumbent local exchange carriers, Telecom Decision CRTC 2007-27, 30 April 2007.
Section 28(1)(a) of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure provides that the Commission may request parties to file information, particulars or documents where needed.
The company is requested to provide comprehensive answers, including rationale and any supporting information, to the attached questions within 10 calendar days of the date of this letter. Consequently, this application along with any associated subsequent revisions will not be approved on an interim basis on the 15th calendar day following their receipt. However, the Commission intends to dispose of this application, along with all associated subsequent revisions, within 45 business days of receipt of the filing.
Yours sincerely,
‘Original signed by S. Bédard’
Suzanne Bédard
Senior Manager, Tariffs
Telecommunications
cc: Sylvie Labbé, CRTC, 819-953-4945, sylvie.labbe@crtc.gc.ca
Attach.
Bell Aliant Tariff Notice 372 – Request for information
In its application, Bell Aliant indicated that the maximum proposed rate in the ranges for individual and party-line services reflects the maximum permissible rate based on the Commission’s directives in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-291.
Commission staff notes that it appears that Bell Aliant intends to increase either party-line service maximum rates over the next three years in order to reach the $30 ceiling established in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-291, or the amount required to eliminate the subsidy, whichever is the lesser amount. It also appears that the maximum rates for party-line services would match the maximum rates for individual line services for Bell Aliant’s residential subscribers in each rate band of its regulated high-cost serving areas (HCSAs).
1. If this is Bell Aliant’s intention,
i. what are Bell Aliant’s plans regarding the pricing of party-line service relative to the pricing of individual lines in regulated HCSAs, in each of the next three years and at the end of the three-year period stipulated in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-291? For example, does Bell Aliant intend to migrate all party-line subscribers in regulated HCSAs to individual line service in three years?
ii. what are Bell Aliant’s existing policies, and its plans over the next three years to notify its party-line subscribers in regulated HCSAs regarding any alternative local exchange services that it can provide in these areas that would meet the basic service objective?
2. Does Bell Aliant have the facilities in place today to offer individual line service to all its party-line subscribers in regulated HCSAs in its Ontario and Quebec serving territories? If individual line service is not available to any number of its party-line subscribers, indicate the number of subscribers affected and describe what, if any, Bell Aliant’s plans are to be able to provide individual line service to these affected customers (including the time frame to do so).
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