Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Jane Westlund (Groupe Maskatel L.P.) and Toby Harper-Merrett (Cogeco Communications)
Ottawa, 9 November 2023
Reference(s): 8640-M22-202201177
VIA EMAIL
Jane Westlund, Senior Specialist, Regulatory Affairs
Groupe Maskatel L.P.
22 Adelaide Street West, Room 43
Toronto ON M5H 4E3
jane.westlund@bell.ca
Toby Harper-Merrett
Senior Advisor, Regulatory Affairs
Cogeco Communications
1 Place Ville Marie, bureau 3301
Montréal QC H3B 3N2
telecom.regulatory@cogeco.com
Subject: Groupe Maskatel L.P. – Application requesting forbearance from the regulation of Wide Area Network (WAN) Services – Request for information
Dear recipients,
The Commission is presently considering the above-referenced Part 1 application filed by Groupe Maskatel Québec LP. (Maskatel). In this application, Maskatel has requested the Commission to refrain from exercising its powers and duties to regulate Wide Area Network (WAN) Services.
In its application, Maskatel indicates that Cogeco has the technology and network required to provide WAN services within Maskatel’s two historical exchanges, Sainte-Rosalie and Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, as well as the exchanges of Upton, St-Ephrem and St-Victor, Québec.
Section 37 of the Telecommunications Act (the Act) provides that the Commission may require Canadian carriers or any person to file information or documents that the Commission considers necessary for the administration of the Act.
Accordingly, Maskatel and Cogeco are required to provide complete responses to the attached request for information by November 23. Maskatel will have until December 1 to comment on the information provided in the received responses.
Questions to Maskatel
- The application makes reference to the principles outlined in the Order Issuing a Direction to the CRTC on Implementing the Canadian Telecommunications Policy Objectives to Promote Competition, Affordability, Consumer Interests and Innovation(the 2019 Policy Direction). The current applicable Policy Direction, however, is the Order Issuing a Direction to the CRTC on a Renewed Approach to Telecommunications Policy (the 2023 Policy Direction). Please comment on how the present application is consistent with the 2023 Policy Direction’s goals and objectives.
Questions to Cogeco
- In its application, Maskatel submits that Cogeco has the technology and the network required to provide WAN Services in the exchanges of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, Sainte-Rosalie, St-Ephrem, St-Victor, and Upton, Québec. As such:
- Indicate all the above exchanges where you have the technology and the network required to provide WAN services.
- For any exchange in a. above, indicate whether these services are offered or available.
- If you indicated that you do not have the technology and the network required to provide WAN services:
- Provide a description of the technology and network capabilities you currently have in the above exchanges.
Copies of this letter and all related correspondence will be added to the public record of this proceeding and posted on the CRTC website.
Section 39 of the Actand Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-961 provide that persons may designate certain information submitted to the Commission as confidential. A detailed explanation of why the designated information is confidential and why its disclosure would not be in the public interest must be provided, including why the specific direct harm that would be likely to result from the disclosure would outweigh the public interest in its disclosure. A person designating information as confidential must either file an abridged version of the document omitting only the confidential information or provide reasons why an abridged version cannot be filed.
Your sincerely,
Original signed by
Lisanne Legros
Director, Telecommunications Networks Policy
Telecommunications Sector
c.c.: alexis.kampman@crtc.gc.ca
lisanne.legros@crtc.gc.ca
- Date modified: