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Ottawa, 8 May 2012
File No.: 8650-B54-201200469
BY E-MAIL
To: Distribution list
Re: Part 1 Application – Request to grant flexibility to increase pay telephone rates – Requests for disclosure of information designated as confidential
This letter addresses requests for disclosure of information included in Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership, Bell Canada and Télébec, Limited Partnership’s (collectively, Bell Canada et al.’s) application dated 17 January 2012.
On 30 March 2012, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Canada Without Poverty (collectively, the Consumer Groups) filed requests for disclosure of information for which confidentiality had been claimed by Bell Canada et al.
On 26 April 2012, Bell Canada et al. filed with the Commission their responses to the above requests.
Requests for disclosure of information designated as confidential are addressed in light of sections 38 and 39 of the Telecommunications Act (the Act) and sections 30 and following of the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure. In evaluating a request, an assessment is made as to whether the information falls into a category of information that can be designated confidential pursuant to section 39 of the Act. An assessment is then made as to whether there is any specific direct harm likely to result from the disclosure of the information in question and whether any such harm outweighs the public interest in disclosure. In making this evaluation, a number of factors are taken into consideration, including the degree of competition and the importance of the information for the purpose of obtaining a fuller record. The factors considered are discussed in more detail in Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, 23 December 2010.
Having regard to all of the considerations set out above, Bell Canada et al. are to place on the public record of this proceeding the information from their application that has been designated as confidential, to the extent set out in Attachment 1, by 10 May 2012 serving a copy on all interested parties by the same date. These submissions must be received, not merely sent, by that date. In each case where full or partial disclosure is to occur, it is considered that the specific direct harm, if any, likely to be caused by disclosure would not outweigh the public interest in disclosure.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
John Macri
Director, Telecommunications Policy
cc: Adam Mills, CRTC, (819) 997-4574, adam.mills@crtc.gc.ca
Distribution List:
Mr. Denis E. Henry
Vice President – Legal, Regulatory, Government Affairs and Public Law
Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership
regulatory@bell.aliant.ca
Mr. Mirko Bibic
Senior Vice-President
Bell Canada
bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Mr. John Lawford
Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
piac@piac.ca
Mme Sophy Lambert-Racine
Analyste télécommunications, radiodiffusion, inforoute, vie privée
Union des consommateurs
union@consommateurs.qc.ca
Attachment 1
Disclosure of Information Designated as Confidential
Bell Canada et al. are to disclose the information that was filed with the Commission under a claim of confidentiality in their 17 January 2012 application, to the extent set out below:
- In paragraph 6, all information for which confidentiality was claimed except for Figure 1;
- In paragraph 7, the percentage of payphones in operation in Ontario and Québec that only generate enough revenue to cover line cost;
- In paragraph 10, the percentage of total cash collected that one dollar coins represent;
- In paragraph 11, the estimate for the cost per payphone to upgrade Bell Canada et al.’s payphones to accommodate the new one dollar coins; and
- In paragraphs 15 and 16, the annual rate of decline in number of local cash calls made on a monthly basis.
- Date modified: