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Telecom Order CRTC 2018-416

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Ottawa, 6 November 2018

Public record: Tariff Notices 493 and 493A

Télébec, Limited Partnership – Modifications to General Tariff regarding Type A Connecting Links

Application

  1. The Commission received an application from Télébec, Limited Partnership (Télébec), dated 22 December 2015 and revised on 11 January 2016, in which the company proposed revisions to item 7.8 – Local Network Interconnection and Component Unbundling of its General Tariff.
  2. Télébec submitted that in a previous tariff application, the company had erroneously removed Type A Connecting Links from its General Tariff. In the present application, Télébec proposed to reintroduce them.
  3. The Commission did not receive any interventions regarding Télébec’s application.

Background

  1. In Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326, the Commission determined that the provision of unbundled local loops (ULLs) would no longer be mandated, subject to a three-year phase-out period for exchanges where there was demand. In exchanges where there was no demand, ULLs were immediately forborne from regulation.  
  2. In Telecom Order 2015-515, dated 19 November 2015, the Commission approved on a final basis the previous application from Télébec that included the removal of Type A Connecting Links.
  3. On 23 November 2015, the Commission received an application from Bell Canada, in which the company requested that the Commission treat the ULL Connecting Links of Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership (now Bell Aliant, a division of Bell Canada); Bell Canada; and Télébec (collectively, Bell Canada et al.) the same way it had treated ULLs in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326.
  4. The Commission informed Télébec that its tariff application regarding the reintroduction of Type A Connecting Links concerned one of the services under consideration in Bell Canada’s application; accordingly, the Commission indicated that it would dispose of Télébec’s application once it had made a determination regarding Bell Canada’s application.
  5. In Telecom Decision 2016-306, the Commission denied Bell Canada’s application on the grounds that the company had not provided sufficient evidence to support its request.
  6. Bell Canada subsequently filed another application with the same request, including additional supporting evidence. The Commission approved the application in Telecom Decision 2018-18, determining that it would be appropriate to immediately cease mandating the provision of ULL Connecting Links in all exchanges in Bell Canada et al.’s serving territories where there was no demand for the service. In exchanges where there was demand, a two-year phase-out period would apply. If any of the companies in question wished to continue offering ULL Connecting Links after the end of the phase-out period, they could file a forbearance application with respect to the provision of the service or provide it in accordance with an approved tariff.

Commission’s analysis and determinations

  1. The Commission is of the view that Télébec’s application is in compliance with the determinations set out in Telecom Decision 2018-18, given that ULL Connecting Links are not forborne from regulation where demand exists.
  2. Further, the elements related to Type A Connecting Links that Télébec has proposed to reintroduce to its General Tariff are identical to those that it had erroneously removed as part of its previous tariff application.
  3. Accordingly, the Commission approves on a final basis Télébec’s application.

Secretary General

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