Telecom Procedural Letter adressed to James P. Prenetta Jr. (Primus Management ULC)

Ottawa, 17 December 2020

Our reference: 8622-P7-202008557

BY EMAIL

Mr. James P. Prenetta Jr.
Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Fusion Connect
Primus Management ULC
2680 Skymark Avenue, Suite 100
Mississauga, ON  L4W 5L6
JPrenetta@fusionconnect.com

RE:  Primus Management ULC (Primus) Part 1 Application - Request for interim and final relief related to rate increases for unbundled local loop (ULL) being imposed by Bell Canada on Primus effective 1 January 2021

Dear Mr. Prenetta:

On 14 December 2020, Primus Management ULC (Primus) filed a Part 1 applicationFootnote1 requesting that the Commission:

  1. Grant interim relief on an expedited basis in the form of an order prohibiting Bell Canada from increasing the rates it charges Primus for unbundled local loops (ULLs) on 1 January 2021;
  2. Grant final relief in the form of an order requiring Bell Canada to maintain the rates it currently charges Primus for ULLs for a duration of twelve (12) months, in order to allow Primus to migrate the customers it serves via ULLs to an alternative service.

Given what Primus stated was the urgent nature of its request, it asked that its request for interim relief be considered on an expedited basis, with process timelines abbreviated as to permit a Commission determination prior to 31 December 2020. Primus also requested that the Commission require Bell Canada and interested parties to file interventions on the matter of the interim relief sought by no later than 16 December 2020, and for Primus to file its response to those interventions by no later than 18 December 2020.

Commission staff is of the view that under these circumstances an expedited process to consider Primus’ application is in the public interest. Therefore, Commission staff is setting out the below process which will allow for public participation while expediting the process:

  1. Bell Canada may respond to, and any person may comment on, Primus’ application by no later than 8 PM (Ottawa time), on 29 December 2020;
  2. Primus may file a reply to Bell Canada’s response and to any other interventions received, by no later than 8 PM (Ottawa time), on 4 January 2020.

Any document filed with the Commission must be served on other parties. Where a document is to be filed or served by a specific date, the document must be actually received, not merely sent, by that date.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Michel Murray
Director, Dispute Resolution and Regulatory Implementation
Telecommunications Sector

c.c: Rudy Rab, CRTC, rudy.rab@crtc.gc.ca
Bell Canada, bell.regulatory@bell.ca

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