Telecom Order CRTC 2016-318

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Ottawa, 9 August 2016

File numbers: Tariff Notices 659, 659A, and 659B (TCI)
Tariff Notices 4382, 4382A, and 4382B (TCBC)

TELUS Communications Company – Implementation of determinations set out in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326

Background

1. In Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326, the Commission made a number of determinations that affected, among other things, the following wholesale legacy services provided by the large incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs):^{Footnote 1}
   • unbundled local loops (ULLs);^{Footnote 2}
   • digital subscriber line (DSL) services provided over non-fibre-to-the-node  technologies; and
   • low-speed competitor digital network access services (i.e. DS-0 and DS-1 access services).^{Footnote 3}
2. The Commission determined that the rates for these services would be frozen at existing rate levels, as of the date of Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326. The Commission further determined that any affected service rate that was interim on the date of that decision would be final.
3. As well, the Commission determined that, subject to a three-year phase-out period, it would no longer require that the large ILECs provide ULLs. Specifically, the Commission determined that ULLs would have to continue to be made available at Commission-approved rates for at least the duration of the three-year phase-out period in exchanges where there was demand. However, the Commission forbore from regulating ULLs in exchanges where there was no existing demand.
4. To implement these determinations, the Commission directed the large ILECs to file revised tariffs within 30 days of the date of its decision.

Application

5. The Commission received applications from TELUS Communications Company, dated 21 August 2015, and amended on 10 September and 20 October 2015, in which it filed proposed revisions to the following items in its Carrier Access Tariffs 1017 (British Columbia) and 18008 (Alberta), pursuant to the Commission's directive in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326:
   • Carrier Access Tariff 1017:
     • item 105 – Local Network Interconnection and Component Unbundling
   • Carrier Access Tariff 18008:
     • item 215 – Local Network Interconnection and Component Unbundling
6. In each of the above-noted tariff items, TCC proposed changes to (i) indicate that the rates for ULLs are frozen, and (ii) identify the exchanges where ULLs are available. For item 215, the company also proposed to indicate that Type-B ULLs are no longer available in rate bands C, D, E, F, and G because there was no demand for the service in those rate bands.
7. The Commission received interventions regarding TCC's applications from the Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc. (CNOC). The public records of these proceedings, which closed on 19 November 2015, are available on the Commission's website at www.crtc.gc.ca or by using the file numbers provided above.
8. CNOC submitted that the language TCC used in its proposed tariff pages contradicts the Commission's determination that ULLs would continue to be supported in exchanges where there was demand for ULLs, regardless of the type of provider using the ULLs. Specifically, CNOC submitted that it was not appropriate for TCC to list in the tariff (i) specific exchanges where ULLs would continue to be available to competitive local exchange carriers, and (ii) specific exchanges where ULLs would continue to be available to DSL service providers.
9. TCC agreed with CNOC, and revised its proposed tariff pages to not limit the availability of ULLs based on the type of provider using them.

Commission's analysis and determinations

10. TCC's proposed changes are consistent with the Commission's determinations set out in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326. Accordingly, the Commission approves TCC's applications.

Secretary General

Related document

• Review of wholesale wireline services and associated policies, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-326, 22 July 2015; as amended by Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-326-1, 9 October 2015

Date modified:

2016-08-09