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Telecom Order CRTC 2018-389

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Ottawa, 4 October 2018

Public record: Tariff Notice 7567

Bell Canada – Clarification of 100 Gigabit Ethernet Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line Aggregated High-Speed Service Provider Interface service

Background

  1. In Telecom Order CRTC 2018-135, 25 April 2018 (Telecom Order 2018-135), the Commission approved on a final basis the introduction of Bell Canada’s 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) Aggregated High-Speed Service Provider Interface (AHSSPI) service (100 GE Interface service). This service provides competitors with access to end-users in Bell Canada’s network in 10 central offices (COs) in Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ontario.
  2. Bell Canada currently provides AHSSPI services at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps), 1000 Mbps, and 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). The new 100 GE Interface service approved in Telecom Order 2018-135 enables competitors to interconnect with Bell Canada’s network through an interface port located on an Internet Protocol (IP) edge router or on an Ethernet switch, which are housed in each of the serving COs.

Application

  1. The Commission received an application from Bell Canada, dated 11 May 2018, in which the company submitted that the existing tariff page for its new 100 GE Interface service, approved in Telecom Order 2018-135, erroneously indicated that the interface port for this service could be located on either the IP edge router or on the Ethernet switch in the CO. Bell Canada proposed to modify the tariff page notes to clarify that the interface port is available only on an IP edge router and not on an Ethernet switch.
  2. Bell Canada also proposed to make some minor housekeeping changes to certain defined terms under this tariff and to align the French version of the tariff page with the English version for consistency and clarity.
  3. The Commission received an intervention regarding Bell Canada’s application from the Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc. (CNOC).

Positions of parties

  1. CNOC noted that IP edge router interface ports are typically more expensive than Ethernet switch interface ports, and questioned why Bell Canada proposed to provide the 100 GE Interface service on IP edge routers only, and not on Ethernet switches as well. CNOC submitted that Bell Canada could request rate increases to recover the costs associated with providing the 100 GE Interface service on the IP edge router interface port only. CNOC requested that the Commission deny Bell Canada’s application in the absence of further evidence that justifies Bell Canada’s position.
  2. In reply, Bell Canada submitted that the interface ports are available only on IP edge routers because Ethernet switch interface ports have not been standardized on Bell Canada’s Ethernet switches; therefore, the company cannot offer the 100 GE Interface service on Ethernet switch interface ports. Further, Bell Canada stated that it does not use the Ethernet switch interface port option for its own retail services.
  3. Bell Canada also noted that its 100 GE Interface service is available in only a limited number of COs, with very little expected demand, and that its proposed clarification simply reflects how the interface ports are being provided. The company indicated that it was not proposing any change in the rates charged for the 100 GE Interface service.
  4. Bell Canada submitted that CNOC’s assertion that IP edge router interface ports are more expensive than Ethernet switch interface ports is incorrect, because Bell Canada would have to add the option to provide interface ports on Ethernet switches, which would incur additional costs and increase the rate for the 100 GE Interface service.
  5. Bell Canada therefore requested that the Commission disregard CNOC’s intervention and approve its application.
  6. In its final comments, CNOC submitted that following Bell Canada’s clarification, it no longer opposed the company’s application to correct and clarify in its tariff that the 100 GE Interface service is available only on IP edge routers.

Commission’s analysis and determinations

  1. The Commission notes that CNOC was satisfied with Bell Canada’s clarification and no longer opposed Bell Canada’s application. The Commission finds that Bell Canada’s explanation is reasonable regarding why the 100 GE Interface service is available only on an IP edge router and not on an Ethernet switch, and therefore approves on a final basis Bell Canada’s application.

Secretary General

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