Telecom - Commission letter addressed to Stan Thompson (Northwestel Inc. )
Ottawa, 9 August 2021
Our references: 8740-N1-202006775 and 8740-N1-202102424
BY EMAIL
Mr. Stan Thompson
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
Northwestel Inc.
P.O. Box 2727
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 4Y4
regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca
Re: Northwestel Inc. Tariff Notices 1122 and 1099, Terrestrial Internet Services
Dear Sir,
On 14 October 2020, the Commission received an application from Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) under Tariff Notice (TN) 1099. The company proposed changes to General Tariff CRTC 3001, Item 1735 – Terrestrial Internet Services, in order to introduce new Internet packages, including unlimited Internet packages, for residential and business customers in its areas served by fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and cable access facilities.
On 20 April 2021, the Commission received an application from Northwestel under TN 1122 proposing changes to General Tariff CRTC 3001 – Item 1735 – Terrestrial Internet Services. This TN proposed, among other things, to decrease the rates for some residential unlimited packages (namely the residential 50+, 125+ and 250 +) introduced in TN 1099.
Paragraph 28(1)(a) of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure provides that the Commission may require parties to file information or documents where needed.
As such, pursuant to paragraph 28(1)(a) of the Rules of Practice and Procedure, Northwestel is requested to provide comprehensive answers, including rationale and any supporting information, to the attached request for information (RFIs) by 23 August 2021.
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.
The Commission requires the response or other documents to be submitted electronically by using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GCKey) and filling the “Broadcasting and Telecom Cover page” or the “Broadcasting Cover Page” located on this web page. Also on this web page, you will find information on the submission of applications to the Commission “Filing Broadcasting and Canadian Program Certification documents with the CRTC: Privacy and Security”.
A copy of this letter and all related correspondence will be added to the public record of the proceeding.
As set out in section 39 of the Telecommunications Act and in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, persons may designate certain information as confidential. A person designating information as confidential must provide a detailed explanation on why the designated information is confidential and why its disclosure would not be in the public interest, including why the specific direct harm that would be likely to result from the disclosure would outweigh the public interest in disclosure. Furthermore, a person designating information as confidential must either file an abridged version of the document omitting only the information designated as confidential or provide reasons why an abridged version cannot be filed.
Copies of the document should be also be sent to nat.natraj@crtc.gc.ca and julie.boisvert@crtc.gc.ca
Sincerely,
Original signed by Christine Brock for
Michel Murray
Director, Dispute Resolution & Regulatory Implementation
Telecommunications Sector
c.c.: Julie Boisvert, CRTC, 819-953-2421, julie.boisvert@crtc.gc.ca
B. Natraj (Nat Natraj), CRTC, 819-953-5081, nat.natraj@crtc.gc.ca
bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Attach (1)
RFI related to Northwestel TNs 1099 and 1122 - Terrestrial Internet Services
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In paragraph 5 of the company’s cover letter associated with TN 1122, dated 20 April 2021, Northwestel attested that the proposed prices in this TN meet the price floor test, as demonstrated by the studies that had been submitted in relation to TN 1099 as well as in the TNC 2020-367
Footnote1 proceeding.
Refer to the price floor tests provided in Table 2 (for TN 1099 rates) and Table 2A (for TN 1122 rates) of the company’s response Northwestel(CRTC)16Feb21-2 TN 1099 ATT 2 APP 1 CONF. The following information is requested:
a. Provide details of the calculations of the price floor test that the company relied on to attest that the price floor test is met for the rates proposed for the residential internet unlimited packages in TN 1122, given that the rates for certain speed tiers for certain technologies do not pass the price floor test. If the price floor test relied on was not assessed by speed tier and by technology, as is the current requirement, provide supporting rationale and assumptions relied on to support the attestation.
b.Provide supporting rationale why, for the cases noted above in a), the rates should be approved. If other considerations are to apply, provide the related details and assumptions.
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