Telecom Order CRTC 2016-159

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Ottawa, 28 April 2016

File number: Tariff Notice 7480

Bell Canada – Proposed increase in the rate associated with the In-Call Location Update component of Wireless Service Providers Enhanced 9-1-1 service

Application

1. The Commission received an application from Bell Canada, dated 10 November 2015, in which it proposed to revise the rate for item G21 - Wireless Service Providers (WSPs) Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) service – Phase II of its Special Facilities Tariff. This Phase II tariff has two rate components, namely, Phase II Stage 1, which provides details on location, and Phase II Stage 2, which is the In-Call Location Update (ICLU) component. The company currently charges WSPs a monthly rate of $0.0191 per wireless telephone number (WTN) for this service, which is the sum of the Phase II Stage 1 ($0.0075) and Phase II Stage 2 ($0.0116) rate components.
2. In its application, Bell Canada proposed to increase the rate for the Phase II Stage 2 (or ICLU) rate component of its WSP E9-1-1 service from $0.0116 to $0.0188, which represents an increase of 62%.
3. In support of the proposed increase in the ICLU rate component, Bell Canada indicated that the actual costs associated with implementing ICLU features have significantly exceeded the estimated costs included in its original cost study. Bell Canada submitted that this is due to a number of factors which could not have been foreseen at the time of the initial filing, including the requirement of redundant and diverse circuits at public safety answering points (PSAPs) and new construction required at PSAPs. As such, Bell Canada argued that the existing ICLU rate should be increased as it is no longer just and reasonable. In addition, Bell Canada requested that the current-approved WSP E9-1-1 Service - Phase II tariff be made interim effective the date of its filing.
4. The Commission received interventions from Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf Videotron G.P. (Videotron), and Rogers Communications Partnership (RCP). These parties submitted that the estimated costs associated with the ICLU component of the company’s WSP E9-1-1 service include costs that are not directly attributable to ICLU. For example, the costs of implementing an Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled network (i.e. migration of Automatic Location Identification (ALI) to the Emergency Response System (ERS) platform) is not directly attributable to ICLU as the IP-enabled network benefits all users of the 9-1-1 service, and not simply wireless customers. Further, they submitted that costs for upgrades to PSAP systems and equipment should not be included in estimated ICLU costs as these costs are funded by provincial or municipal authorities.
5. RCP and Videotron did not comment on Bell Canada’s request to make the current-approved rate interim.

Commission’s analysis and determinations

6. The current record of this proceeding is insufficient for a final decision to be made on the proposed rate increase. In this regard, the Commission has just recently received responses from Bell Canada to a number of interrogatories related to the cost estimates put forward by the company, and is also awaiting comments from the interveners to this process and a subsequent reply from the company.^{Footnote 1}
7. In light of the above, the Commission approves Bell Canada’s request to make its existing WSP E9-1-1 Service - Phase II rate interim. This rate is made interim effective the date of this order.

Secretary General

Date modified:

2016-04-28