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Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution List

Ottawa, 19 April 2024

Reference(s): 8740-S22-202104610, 8740-B38-202104686, 8740-R28-202104636, 8740-T66-202104876

BY EMAIL

Distribution List

Subject: Status update on wholesale MVNO access negotiations, implementation, and demand

Commission staff is seeking information regarding wholesale mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access negotiations, implementation, and demand from Bell Mobility Inc. (Bell Mobility), Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Rogers), TELUS Communications Inc. (TELUS), and Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) (collectively “the incumbents”) and regional wireless carriers Bragg Communications Incorporated, carrying on business as Eastlink (Eastlink), Cogeco Communications inc. (Cogeco), Iristel Inc. (Iristel) and Quebecor Media Inc. (Quebecor), on behalf of Videotron Ltd. (Videotron) and Freedom Mobile Inc. (Freedom). The information will help the Commission and staff monitor compliance with, and the effectiveness of, the Commission’s MVNO regulatory framework which aims to improve competition and choice for Canadians. As a result,

Bell Mobility, Rogers, SaskTel, and TELUS are requested to each provide the following:

  1. A list of MVNO access agreements that have been signed and executed to date with wireless carriers, including those that have been signed following final offer arbitration. Please identify the date each agreement was executed.
  2. A list of wireless carriers who have made requests to begin negotiations and the date such a request was made. If you have denied any requests for MVNO access, please identify who was denied and for what reasons.
  3. The current status of any ongoing negotiations for MVNO access with each requesting wireless carrier and an estimate of when agreements are expected to be in place.

Cogeco, Eastlink, Iristel, and Quebecor are requested to each provide the following:

  1. A list of MVNO access agreements you have signed and executed with an incumbent and an indication of whether you are currently offering retail services under each agreement. For each signed agreement, please provide:
    1. The date you began using MVNO access to serve retail customers.
    2. A monthly breakdown, by province, of the number of new retail subscribers you have acquired using the MVNO access service (or best estimate), and
    3. A monthly breakdown, by province, of the amount of data consumed (in GB) on each incumbent’s network using the MVNO access service (or best estimate).
  2. A list of incumbents you are currently negotiating with for wholesale MVNO access and a progress update on those negotiations.
  3. A list of any companies that have approached you looking to resell your wholesale MVNO access and whether you have entered into any such resale arrangements.

Parties are asked to submit responses to these requests for information (RFIs) no later than 26 April 2024.

Please note that these RFIs do not replace the reporting requirements for regional carriers set out in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2021-130.

An abridged version of any document filed in response to these requests for information is required and will be placed on a public record. The incumbents and regional wireless carriers are reminded that any claims for confidentiality must be made in accordance with the requirements set out in the Telecommunications Act and Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, including, for example, the requirement to file abridged versions of documents and to provide complete reasons for the confidentiality designation in accordance with the statute and Commission’s information bulletin.

All documents must be received, and not merely sent, by the dates indicated.

Sincerely,

Douglas Heath 
Director General, Telecommunications Policy

c.c.:  Philippe Kent, CRTC, philippe.kent@crtc.gc.ca
Michel Murray, CRTC, michel.murray@crtc.gc.ca
Jeremy Lendvay, CRTC, jeremy.lendvay@crtc.gc.ca
Philippe Nadeau, CRTC, philippe.nadeau@crtc.gc.ca

Distribution List

Parties to Telecom Decision 2022-288

telecom.regulatory@cogeco.com
Regulatory.Matters@corp.EastLink
regulatory@iristel.com
jonathan.holmes@itpa.ca
kadil@legalaid.mb.ca
chkla@legalaid.mb.ca
regaffairs@quebecor.com
richard.biron@sogetel.com
scott.gibson@terrestar.ca
jfmezei@vaxination.ca
bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Regulatory@rci.rogers.com
document.control@sasktel.com
regulatory.affairs@telus.com
regulatory@corp.fibernetics.ca

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