Search

Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Philippe Gauvin (Bell Aliant)

Ottawa, 8 July 2024

Our reference(s): 8740-A53-202401321

BY EMAIL

Philippe Gauvin
Assistant General Counsel
Bell Aliant
Floor 19
160 Elgin Street
Ottawa, ON, K2P 2C4
bell.regulatory@bell.ca

Subject:  Staff Letter - Telecom – Associated with Bell Aliant Tariff Notice (TN) 579 - Withdrawal of the Hospital Patient Telephone Service – Requests for information

On 22 March 2024, the Commission received an application from Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership (Bell Aliant) proposing changes to its General Tariff CRTC 21491 to withdraw the Hospital Patient Telephone Service (HPTS). On 1 May 2024, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) filed an intervention, to which Bell Aliant replied on 21 May 2024.

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 considers that additional information is required from Bell Aliant to the proceeding in order to obtain a full and complete record.

As such, Bell Aliant is requested to provide comprehensive answers, including rationale and any supporting information, to the attached request for information by 22 July 2024. Copies of the answers and reply comments should be sent to the other parties and to julie.boisvert@crtc.gc.ca.

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 webpage.

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 ActFootnote1 and in IB 2010-961Footnote2, 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.

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by

Michel Murray
Director, Dispute Resolution and Regulatory Implementation
Telecommunications Sector

c.c.: Julie Boisvert, CRTC, 819-953-2421, julie.boisvert@crtc.gc.ca
Sean Kelly, NLHS, sean.kelly@nlchi.nl.ca

Attach (1)

Request for information

  1. Bell Aliant submitted that, as an alternative to HPTS, patients may utilize cellular service and that mobility services are Bell Aliant’s preferred service offering for the coming years for those persons who require local voice service while hospitalized. Apart from the cellular service, does Bell Aliant offer services that could be used by the health authorities to ensure that their patients will have access to telecommunications services?
  2. Bell Aliant provided to the Commission a copy of the notices that were sent to the health authorities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Also, in its reply to NLHS, Bell Aliant submitted that it undertook early discussions with NLHS in advance of submitting its application to the Commission to withdraw HPTS. Indicate if Bell Aliant undertook discussions with the health authorities of New-Brunswick and Nova Scotia. If so, provide details (including dates, participants and outcomes) on those discussions. If not, provide the reason(s) why.
  3. Bell Aliant submitted that the demand and revenues for HPTS have fallen significantly over the period between January 2018 and December 2023. Also, in its reply, Bell Aliant submitted that it has provided NLHS with the best and most current HPTS data on customer’s usage that can be made available.
    1. Provide the data and the calculations used to evaluate the decline of demand and revenues for that period in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, separately for each provincial health authority.
    2. Provide a copy of the HPTS data on customer’s usage that was provided to NLHS.
    3. Provide HPTS data on customer’s usage in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, separately for each province, with at least the same level of details than was provided to NLHS.
Date modified: