ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter addressed to John Maksimow (MTS Inc.)

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Ottawa, 8 October 2014

File No.: 8650-C12-201310060

BY EMAIL

Mr. John Maksimow
Tariffs Manager, Regulatory Affairs
MTS Inc.
333 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba  R3C 3V6
iworkstation@mtsallstream.com

Re:  Request to MTS Inc. to provide and disclose certain information designated as confidential in Notice of Consultation 2013-337, Fact-finding on the role of payphones in the Canadian communications system.

Dear Mr. Maksimow:

This is with reference to the MTS’s response to the following request for information by DiversityCanada Foundation on 13 December 2013:

For the period 2008 to 2012, provide the percentage of payphone removals that were initiated – not by the company – but by host businesses ceasing to exist or by host businesses and communities requesting either a reduction or outright removal of payphone units from their properties.

In response, MTS Inc. submitted the following rationale for not providing the information sought:

The information requested is confidential.  It is disaggregated information that is not normally made available on the public record.  Release of this information would provide existing and potential competitors with valuable commercial information and would cause specific and direct harm to MTS.

Commission staff notes that all other ILECs in this proceeding who maintain the requested information filed the information requested on the public record. 

MTS Inc. is requested to explain why it should not be required to provide the information sought by DiversityCanada Foundation in the above interrogatory and to disclose the information on the public record.  In particular, MTS should explain how this information is of a type listed in the appendix to Bulletin 2010-961 and should provide detailed rationale to explain why disclosure of this information is not in the public interest. Commission staff also notes that at paragraph 6 of Bulletin 2010-961, the Commission states:

Generic statements such as “the release of this information to competitors would result in specific, direct harm to the company” are not sufficient.  Parties must provide sufficient reasons to allow meaningful analysis by the Commission or another party who may wish to request disclosure of the information.

MTS is to file its response no later than five days after receipt of this letter.

Should you have questions concerning any of the above, please contact Soniya Mukhedkar by telephone at 819-997-4754 or by email at soniya.mukhedkar@crtc.gc.ca

Sincerely,

[Original signed]

Nanao Kachi
Director, Social and Consumer Policy

c.c.: soniya.mukhedkar@crtc.gc.ca
lori.mcalpine@mtsallstream.com
John.Maksimow@mtsallstream.com

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