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Telecom Order CRTC 2017-238

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Ottawa, 6 July 2017

File number: Tariff Notice 991

Northwestel Inc. – Changes to residential Internet 10 MV service

Application

  1. The Commission received an application from Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel), dated 27 April 2017, in which the company proposed revisions to its General Tariff item 1737 – Mackenzie Valley [MV] Terrestrial Cable and ADSL Internet Services (item 1737). Specifically, Northwestel proposed to revise the residential Internet 10 MV service by increasing the upload speed from 0.512 megabits per second (Mbps) to 2 Mbps. The company indicated that the download speed, usage cap, and price would remain the same.
  2. Northwestel submitted that it had previously filed Tariff Notice (TN) 966, in which it had proposed revisions to its General Tariff item 1735 – Terrestrial Cable and ADSL Internet Services (item 1735). Specifically, it had proposed to revise the residential Internet 8 service by increasing the download speed from 8 Mbps to 10 Mbps, increasing the upload speed from 0.512 Mbps to 2 Mbps, and changing the name of the service from Internet 8 to Internet 10. The Commission approved TN 966 on an interim basis in Telecom Order 2016-482 and on a final basis in Telecom Order 2017-13.
  3. Northwestel submitted that when it revised its General Tariff for the approved residential Internet 10 service under item 1735, it also upgraded the residential Internet 10 MV service upload speed from 0.512 Mbps to 2 Mbps, but did not seek Commission approval of this revised upload speed under item 1737 due to an oversight. The company therefore requested that the Commission grant retroactive approval of the revised residential Internet 10 MV service effective 13 December 2016, the effective date set out in Telecom Orders 2016-482 and 2017-13.
  4. The Commission approved Northwestel’s present application on an interim basis in Telecom Order 2017-173, effective 30 May 2017.
  5. The Commission did not receive any interventions regarding Northwestel’s application. The public record of this proceeding, which closed on 29 May 2017, is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca or by using the file number provided above.

Commission’s analysis and determinations

  1. With regard to Northwestel’s request for retroactive approval, subsection 25(4) of the Telecommunications Act allows the Commission to ratify the charging of a rate by a Canadian carrier otherwise than in accordance with a tariff approved by the Commission if the Commission is satisfied that the rate was, for example, charged because of an error or other circumstance that warrants the ratification.
  2. The majority of Northwestel’s tariff applications over the past year for its Internet services have typically included the same changes to services provided under both item 1735 and item 1737. The Commission therefore considers that the change to the upload speed for the residential Internet 10 MV service, which is listed under item 1737, without Commission approval was due to an error in not completing this regulatory step.
  3. In light of all the above, the Commission approves on a final basis Northwestel’s application, and ratifies the charging of the rate for the revised residential Internet 10 MV service for the period from 13 December 2016 to 30 May 2017.

Secretary General

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