ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter Addressed to Various Parties Interested in Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2013-551

Ottawa, 23 October 2014

BY EMAIL

Distribution

Re: Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2013-551, Review of wholesale services and associated policies – Organization and conduct of the public hearing.

Dear Madam/Sir:

The Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing in connection with the above-noted proceeding commencing on Monday, 24 November 2014 at the Conference Centre, Phase IV, Outaouais Room, 140 Promenade du Portage, in Gatineau, Quebec.

The purpose of this letter is to provide parties with information on the organization and conduct of the public hearing.

Sitting Schedule

The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, 24 November 2014. The hearing is expected to last up to 9 business days.

The order and estimated date of appearance of parties making an oral presentation at the hearing is set out in the Schedule to this letter. Parties should note that there will be an oral reply phase in the reverse order of appearance.

Please note that the order of appearance of the public hearing will be available on the Commission’s website at the following link: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2014/lt141023.htm and will be updated, if necessary, prior to the hearing.

All other persons interested in the proceeding and members of the public are invited to attend as audience members.

Participants are responsible for monitoring the progress of the hearing so that they are aware of any Commission directives and are ready to make their presentation on the day scheduled or, if necessary, the day before or after their scheduled date of appearance, depending on the progress of the hearing. Please be advised that an audio link will be available throughout the hearing on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca.

Transcripts

The Commission has made arrangements to provide stenography services for the hearing. Those who wish to obtain same-day or other services are to contact Steno Tran as soon as possible prior to the hearing to make arrangements. The person requesting the service is responsible for the transaction and payment of such services. Bill Curley from Steno Tran may be contacted at 613-521-0703 extension 105 or bill.curley@stenotran.com . The transcripts will be posted daily on the Commission’s website.

Presentations

Each party will have 20 minutes to make their presentation at the public hearing. Presentations will be followed by questioning from members of the Commission panel and by Commission legal counsel where appropriate.

Participants may make use of audio-visual aids in their presentations (the duration of which must be included in participants’ allocated presentation time). Participants who wish to employ an audio-visual aid are to contact Lynda Roy, Hearing Secretary, by e-mail at lynda.roy@crtc.gc.ca  (tel: 819-953-4009) by no later than 14 November 2014, since those participants will be required to make arrangements to rent technical equipment as required.  To facilitate the interpretation of these audio-visual presentations, the Commission requests that participants provide, prior to their presentations, a transcript (2 copies) for the interpreters at the hearing. Please note that this transcript will not be added to the public record as it is solely for the use of the interpreters.

Structure and approach of submissions

Participants may use the time allotted to them in order to discuss any aspect of their submissions or respond to any aspect of the written submissions made by other parties to this proceeding.

Parties are however advised that the Commission panel intends to focus its questioning on the following matters:

1. Wholesale Services Framework:

   Whether modifications should be made to the structure and/or implementation of the Commission’s wholesale services framework, in order to improve the wholesale framework’s purpose and/or application.

2. Specific wholesale services:

   What considerations should the Commission take into account when making its decision whether to: (a) mandate the provision; (b) forbear from regulating; or (c) re-assert its jurisdiction to regulate (where appropriate) with respect to the following services:

   • Wholesale High-Speed Access (HSA) services, including Fibre-to-the-Premise facilities and the proposed Broadband Access Service;
   • Unbundled local loops; and
   • Fibre-based access and transport services (e.g. Ethernet)
3. Approaches to wholesale rate setting:

   Whether modifications should be made to the Commission’s wholesale services rate setting approaches, the underlying principles, or the associated processes, in order to improve the overall timeliness, accuracy or consistency of the rate setting exercise.

Parties are encouraged to structure their presentations accordingly.

Responsibility of the participants

Parties are required to bring with them all relevant documentation and knowledgeable personnel, including any relevant experts. An adverse inference may be drawn from the failure of a party to do so.

For ease of translation and transcription, and to assist the Commission panel members and Commission staff, participants are requested to bring 40 copies of their prepared remarks, any charts, tables, or graphics which participants intend to use during their presentation and 15 copies of the seating plan of their presentation panel (view from the Commission panel).

The Commission would appreciate if participants would provide an electronic version of their prepared remarks to the Hearing Secretary (lynda.roy@crtc.gc.ca) and the stenographer prior to their oral presentation.

Notification of attendance and further inquiries

In order to assist the Commission, participants must file the following via GC Key, providing a copy to Lynda Roy, Hearing Secretary, via e-mail at lynda.roy@crtc.gc.ca , by 3 November 2014:

• Confirmation that the party still wishes to appear at the hearing, and, if so, whether in Gatineau or by videoconference from a CRTC regional office (see list below);
• The name, mobile telephone number and email address of the participant (or the participant’s representative) to be used to contact the participant immediately preceding and during the hearing, if necessary, to obtain information or to inform them of matters relating to the hearing;
• The names and titles of any representatives who will appear on behalf of the participant at the hearing, and a seating plan of your presentation panel (view from the Commission panel);
• The principal official language in which you intend to make your presentation;
• Requests for accommodation at the hearing for people with disabilities.

Please note that this information will not be posted on the Commission’s website.

Undertakings

Parties’ undertakings must be filed by 12 December 2014 unless otherwise determined by the Commission panel at the time the undertaking is made.  Undertakings will not be confirmed on the record at the end of the presentation. Any party who wishes to confirm the content of its undertakings may speak with Commission Legal Counsel.

Copies of documents filed

Participants are reminded that, in accordance with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Rules of Practice and Procedure, only evidence in support of statements already on the record is admissible at the public hearing. Should a party intend to bring forward new evidence, including proposed exhibits or attachments to the oral presentation, they must notify the Hearing Secretary of their intention in advance of their oral presentation and must request permission to do so from the Commission panel at the beginning of their oral presentation.

With respect to any documents filed at the public hearing (such as tables, proposed exhibits, or responses to undertakings), 40 copies must be provided to the Hearing Secretary for the Commission’s use.

Organisation of the Hearing Room

Parties are advised that separate tables for each party will not be provided in the hearing room. Parties who wish to follow the hearing in person may sit in the audience or in the public examination room.

Post-public hearing written submissions

Parties are reminded that they may file final written comments in reply to submissions at the public hearing on any matter within the scope of this proceeding by 19 December 2014. Final comments, including an executive summary, are not to exceed 25 pages.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

John Traversy
Secretary General

Attachments

CRTC Regional Offices:

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Metropolitan Place
99 Wyse Road
Suite 1410

Montréal, Quebec
505, De Maisonneuve Blvd. West
Bureau 205

Toronto, Ontario
55 St. Clair Avenue East
Suite 624

Winnipeg, Manitoba
360 Main Street
Suite 970

Regina, Saskatchewan
1975 Scarth Street
Suite 403

Calgary, Alberta
220-4 Avenue Southeast
Suite 574

Vancouver, British Columbia
858 Beatty Street
Suite 290

Distribution List:

james.e.dingwell@yahoo.com; nels2510@telus.net; robin.winsor@cybera.ca; steve@openmedia.ca; reza.rajabiun@ryerson.ca; darrellkrahn@shaw.ca; chall2k5@gmail.com; heather.b.gold@ftthcouncil.org; ron.murch@haskayne.ucalgary.ca; regulatory@fibernetics.ca; jeff_mcnamee@sympatico.ca; harry.sharma@canarie.ca; cedwards@ccsa.cable.ca; regulatory@ssimicro.com; regulatory.matters@corp.eastlink.ca; rs@summer.com; corinne.pohlmann@cfib.ca; john.pecman@cb-bc.gc.ca; jpanter@auroracollege.nt.ca; regulatory@sjrb.ca; radams@coquitlam.ca; slambert-racine@uniondesconsommateurs.ca; regulatory@bcba.ca; george.burger@vmedia.ca; ctacit@tacitlaw.com; david.watt@rci.rogers.com; bell.regulatory@bell.ca; iworkstation@mtsallstream.com; regulatory.affairs@telus.com; rob.olenick@tbaytel.com; jfleger@piac.ca; dennis.beland@quebecor.com; jonathan.holmes@itpa.ca; regulatory@distributel.ca; michel.messier@cogeco.com; document.control@sasktel.com; regulatory@bell.aliant.ca; regulatory@primustel.ca; benjamin.sanders@gov.yk.ca; maryanne.bendfled@calgary.ca; blackwell@giganomics.ca; jfmezei@vaxination.ca; Derek.Leschinsky@bc-cb.gc.ca

Schedule: Order of Appearance

*Note: The dates of appearance are estimates only, based on projected sitting times.

PHASE 1

Monday, 24 November 2014
1. Competition Bureau
2. Dr. Reza Rajabium and Dr. Catherine Middleton (Ryerson University)
3. I-CANADA
4. City of Coquitlam

Tuesday, 25 November 2014
5. Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc. (CNOC)
6. Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc.
7. Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Inc.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014
8. Bell Canada and Bell Aliant
9. Québecor Média Inc. (Vidéotron)

Thursday, 27 November 2014
10. Cogeco Cable Inc.
11. Distributel Communications Ltd.
12. Saskatchewan Telecommunications
13. Vaxination Informatique

Friday, 28 November 2014
14. Shaw Cablesystems G.P.
15. VMedia Inc.
16. MTS and Allstream Inc.
17. School District #67 (Okanagan Skaha)
18. The City of Calgary

Monday, 1 December 2014
19. TELUS Communications Company
20. The SSI Group of Companies
21. Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the Consumers’ Association of Canada
22. OpenMedia.ca

Tuesday, 2 December 2014
23. Rogers Communications Partnership
24. Fiber to the Home Council Americas
25. CANARIE Inc.
26. Government of Yukon
27. Cybera

PHASE 2

Wednesday and Thursday, 3 and 4 December 2014
Reverse order of appearance from Phase 1

Date modified:

2014-10-23