ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter adressed to Scott Mitchell (Cochrane Telecom Services)
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Ottawa, 2 November 2015
Our reference: 8640-C1-201510826
BY EMAIL
Mr. Scott Mitchell
General Manager
Cochrane Telecom Services
153 Sixth Avenue
P.O. Box 640
Cochrane, ON K1A 0N2
pucnet@puc.net
Re: Cochrane Telecom Services – Request for forbearance from the regulation of business local exchange services
Dear Sir:
On 8 September 2015, the Commission received an application from Cochrane Telecom Services (Cochrane), in which the company requested forbearance from the regulation of business local exchange services in the exchange of Cochrane, Ontario.
Cochrane submitted that Eastlink would begin offering business service in the Cochrane exchange during the week of 21 September 2015. Cochrane explained that it was filing the application before Eastlink had begun offering service so that it could obtain forbearance as quickly as possible after Eastlink entered the market. It also submitted that the competitor presence test criterion was met because Eastlink is capable of serving 75 percent of the business access lines in the exchange.
However, in a letter dated 1 October 2015, Eastlink requested that the Commission dismiss Cochrane’s application. It submitted that due to delays caused by Cochrane, it had not yet launched service and, therefore, it was not capable of serving 75 percent of the business access lines in the exchange. Eastlink submitted that incumbent local exchange carriers must wait until after a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) has launched service to file an application for forbearance.
On 20 October 2015, Cochrane filed Tariff Notice 74, proposing to introduce Access Services Tariff item 100.6 – Call Routing-LRN Absent and requesting an expedited effective date of 27 October 2015. Cochrane submitted that it had recently become clear to both Cochrane and Eastlink that Cochrane would need to provide this service to ensure that all calls are routed correctly in its operating territory, and that this was the final obstacle that must be overcome to permit Eastlink to enter the Cochrane exchange. Both Eastlink and Ontera supported Cochrane’s request for expedited approval of the application.
The Commission approved the application on an interim basis in Telecom Order 2015-479, dated 26 October 2015.
In light of the above, once local competition has been implemented for Eastlink in accordance with Telecom Decision 2015-98, Cochrane is to submit a letter of confirmation to the Commission, serving Eastlink. The letter should indicate the date on which local competition was introduced, as well as evidence of Eastlink’s capability to serve at least 75 percent of the number of business access lines in the exchange.
Eastlink will have 15 calendar days to reply to Cochrane’s letter of confirmation and will be expected to provide the information set out in the relevant Appendix to Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2009-379, if applicable.
Cochrane will have 10 calendar days to provide a reply to Eastlink’s submission.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
Kay Saichuea
Director, Competition & Emergency Services Policy
Telecommunications Sector
c.c.: Denise Heckbert, Eastlink, regulatory.matters@corp.eastlink.ca
Bell Canada, bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Rogers Communications, david.watt@rogers.com
TELUS Communications Company, regulatory.affairs@telus.com
Eric Macfarlane, Analyst, CRTC, eric.macfarlane@crtc.gc.ca
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