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Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Imran Khan (Northwestel Inc.)

Ottawa, 2 November 2023

Reference(s): 8740-N1-202305961, 8740-N1-202305979

BY E-MAIL

Imran Khan
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
Northwestel Inc.
10th Floor 5201 Franklin Ave #100
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P1

regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca

Subject: Northwestel Inc. Tariff Notice 1191 – Add Atlin, BC to Residential Services and Tariff Notice 1192 – Add Atlin, BC to Enterprise Business Services

Dear Imran Khan:

On 20 October 2023, the Commission received two applications from Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) proposing to, among other things, introduce residential and business services in Atlin, BC effective 23 November 2023, following the planned transfer of responsibility for the community from TELUS Communications Inc. (TELUS) to Northwestel.

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.

Commission staff is very concerned that Northwestel’s proposal would result in increases to the charges for many of the customers in the community for residential and business services. Accordingly, and given the urgency of the applications, Northwestel is requested to provide comprehensive answers, including rationale and any supporting information, to the attached questions by 8 November 2023.

As set out in section 39 of the Telecommunications Act  (the 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 relevant information qualifies for designation as 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.
In order to inform the participation of interested persons in the proceedings, Commission staff expects Northwestel to disclose information on the public record to the maximum extent possible.

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 “Telecom Cover page” located on this web page. 

A copy of this letter and all subsequent replies will be added to the public record of this proceeding.

Yours sincerely

Original signed by

Michel Murray
Director, Dispute Resolution & Regulatory Implementation
Telecommunications Sector

c. c.: Emily Fraser, CRTC, (873)-353-6549, emily.fraser@crtc.gc.ca

Attachment

Request for Information

  1. Currently, the majority of customers in Atlin, BC take bundled services from TELUS which include the residential primary exchange services (PES) and various features as well as in some cases long distance service. However, Northwestel indicated that it does not offer bundled services, nor all of the features offered by TELUS.
    • Northwestel is proposing to initially charge existing residential customers the monthly rate of $32.08, which is the residential PES rate charged by TELUS, until 1 June 2024 plus the cost of any calling features the customers wish to take. The company indicated that in many cases this change will result in an overall increase to the customers’ monthly charges.
    • Northwestel also proposed that any new customers would be charged Northwestel’s existing monthly rate of $38.20 plus the cost of any calling features.
    • Given the above, explain and/or comment on, with supporting rationale:  
      1. Why Northwestel believes it appropriate that residential customers in Atlin should be charged higher rates, as compared to what they are paying with TELUS, for a reduced level of service.
      2. Why new residential customers should be charged at a higher rate in the community than existing customers. Explain whether this could unjustly discriminate or give an undue or unreasonable preference contrary to section 27(2) of the Act.
  2. Northwestel indicated that business PES will be provided at the current approved rates. Customers will be transferred to standard business PES service for Band H1, either single line or multi-line based on their current TELUS service. Northwestel will not be provisioning customers with any calling features when transferred and are to contact Northwestel to add calling features. Northwestel indicated that it does not offer all the same calling features as TELUS and does not offer bundles as TELUS does.
    • The information provided by the company indicated that many of its business PES customers will experience increases.
    • Given the above, explain and/or comment on, with supporting rationale, why Northwestel believes it appropriate that business customers should be charged higher rates, as compared to what they are paying with TELUS, for reduced services.
  3. Show cause as to why the Commission should not require, on an interim basis while the Commission finalizes its review of the record, that both residential and business customers be charged no more than they currently pay for services with TELUS.
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