ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 2012-402

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Route reference: Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-771

Ottawa, 25 July 2012

Northwestel Inc. – Introduction of Basic Listing Interchange File service

File number: Tariff Notice 885

Introduction

1. The Commission received an application by Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel), dated 2 April 2012, in which the company filed for Commission approval General Tariff, CRTC 3001, item 410 – Basic Listing Interchange File (BLIF) service. Northwestel submitted that this service provides wholesale customers with a machine-readable file containing non-confidential subscriber listing information for the subscribers listed, and intended to be listed, in Northwestel’s directories and directory assistance databases.

2. In its application, Northwestel also proposed to

i)  withdraw its Base Rate Area Tariff, CRTC 3009;

ii)   revise its Index of Tariffs, CRTC 3000, Section IV - Subscription Charges, to include a paragraph stating that it would provide one free copy of the base rate area map that represents the location of the applicant’s primary exchange service; and

iii) revise its General Tariff, CRTC 3001, item 1303 – Terminal Attachment Plan, to remove a condition that would restrict resale of the equipment and services used to provide message toll service.

3. The Commission received no comments on Northwestel’s application. In a letter dated 7 June 2012, Commission staff informed Northwestel that the Commission would be reviewing this application in conjunction with Northwestel’s Tariff Notice 884, in which the company proposed to introduce its Local Network Interconnection Tariff, since the comments received in that proceeding were relevant to the Commission’s disposition of this application.

4. The public record of this proceeding, which closed on 2 May 2012, is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings” or by using the file number provided above.

5. The Commission considers that it must address the following issues to determine whether to approve Northwestel’s application:

I. Should the Commission approve Northwestel’s proposed BLIF service?

II. Should the Commission approve Northwestel’s request to withdraw its Base Rate Area Tariff?

III. Other matter

I.  Should the Commission approve Northwestel’s proposed BLIF service?

6. Northwestel proposed to charge $0.15 per listing for its BLIF service. The company submitted that the Commission has approved this rate for NorthernTel, Limited Partnership’s (NorthernTel) BLIF service. Northwestel submitted that the network access service bases of the two companies are fairly similar in size and that, therefore, the two companies are comparable for BLIF purposes.

7. The Commission notes that in Telecom Order 2012-401, the Commission considered it appropriate for Northwestel to base rates for many of its local network interconnection services on the rates approved for the same NorthernTel services. The Commission considers that it is appropriate to approve Northwestel’s proposed BLIF service rate for the reasons set out in Telecom Order 2012-401.

8. The Commission notes that Northwestel has proposed to add its BLIF service to its General Tariff, which is associated with tariff block number “CRTC 3001,” while on its proposed tariff page 80I, the company has included tariff block number “CRTC 3002.”

9. Accordingly, the Commission considers it appropriate to approve Northwestel’s BLIF service as proposed, with the following change: amend tariff page 80I to reflect the correct tariff block number - that is, CRTC 3001.

II. Should the Commission approve Northwestel’s request to withdraw its Base Rate Area Tariff?

10. Northwestel submitted that, to the best of its knowledge, no other incumbent local exchange carrier in Canada has, or is required to have, base rate area maps in its tariffs. The company noted that it had not updated its Base Rate Area Tariff in more than 10 years and that updating it regularly is a costly process.

11. Northwestel submitted, however, that it was prepared to provide an updated base rate area map to a customer or competitor, upon request. The company proposed to include a paragraph in the Subscription Charges section of its Index of Tariffs, indicating that it would make available, without charge, one copy of a base rate area map of the exchange in which the applicant’s primary exchange service was, or would be, located. Additional copies, or maps for other exchanges, would be provided at a charge based upon the expense incurred by Northwestel.

12. The Commission notes that Northwestel’s Base Rate Area Tariff consists of a collection of maps of the company’s base rate areas. The Commission also notes that this tariff does not provide for specific services and contains no rates. The Commission further notes that the wording that Northwestel has proposed to add to its Index of Tariffs is the same wording that appears in item 26, paragraph 1(f) of Bell Canada’s General Tariff.

13. Accordingly, the Commission considers it appropriate to approve Northwestel’s request to withdraw its Base Rate Area Tariff, subject to Northwestel implementing the proposed change to the Subscription Charges section of its Index of Tariffs.

III.  Other matter

14. The Commission notes that Northwestel has proposed to revise the wording of one of the conditions of General Tariff item 1303 – Terminal Attachment Plan. The Commission also notes that the proposed change would remove a condition that would restrict resale of the equipment and services used to provide message toll service.

15. The Commission considers that removing this restriction on the resale of equipment and services would benefit wholesale customers. Accordingly, the Commission considers it appropriate to approve Northwestel’s request to remove this restriction.

Conclusion

16. In light of the above, the Commission approves Northwestel’s application, with the changes noted in paragraphs 9 and 13, effective the date of this order. The Commission directs Northwestel to issue revised tariff pages within 15 days of the date of this order.¹

Secretary General

Related documents

• Northwestel Inc. – Local Network Interconnection Tariff, Telecom Order CRTC 2012-401, 25 July 2012
• Northwestel Inc. – Review of regulatory framework, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2011-771, 14 December 2011

Date modified:

2012-07-30