Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution List
Ottawa, 1 August 2024
Our reference: 8740-T66-202402238
BY EMAIL
Distribution List
Subject: TELUS Tariff Notice 590 – Support Structure Pole Rental Rate Change – staff ruling on disclosure requests of certain information filed in confidence
This letter addresses requests for disclosure of information filed in confidence in the above noted tariff application filed by TELUS.
On 17 May 2024, Bragg Communications Inc., carrying on business as Eastlink; Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of its subsidiaries Videotron Ltd. and Freedom Mobile Inc.; and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (collectively, the “Cable Carriers”) filed a collective request for disclosure of information for which confidentiality had been claimed regarding the above noted tariff application. On 27 May 2024, TELUS filed a response, providing disclosure on many of the items in question.
Disclosure
Commission staff notes that requests for disclosure of information designated as confidential are addressed in light of sections 38 and 39 of the Telecommunications Act (the Act) and sections 30 and following of the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure). In evaluating a request, an assessment is made as to whether the information falls into a category of information that can be designated as confidential pursuant to section 39 of the Act. An assessment is then made as to whether there is any specific direct harm likely to result from the disclosure of the information in question and whether any such harm outweighs the public interest in disclosure. In making this evaluation, a number of factors are taken into consideration, including the degree of competition and the importance of disclosure of the information for the purpose of obtaining a fuller record. The factors considered are discussed in more detail in Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, 23 December 2010, as amended by Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961-1, 26 October 2012.
Commission staff has reviewed the requests filed by the Cable Carriers, as well as the reply comments from TELUS, and considers that disclosure of certain information, as specified in Attachment 2 of this letter, is appropriate and in the public interest.
Disclosure
Commission staff sets out the following process to address disclosures.
TELUS is to disclose the information specified in Attachment 2 of this letter, by 9 August 2024.
The information is to be filed with the Commission and served on all parties in the attached distribution list.
Any party may submit comments with respect to the additional information directed to be disclosed by 16 August 2024, serving a copy to TELUS. TELUS may reply to any such comments by no later than 23 August 2024.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
Chris Noonan
Director, Competitor Services & Costing Implementation
Telecommunication sector
c.c.: Josée Line Gendron, JoseeLine.Gendron@crtc.gc.ca
Miriam Mohamed, Miriam.mohamed@crtc.gc.ca
Attach. (2):
Distribution List (1)
Disclosure of information (2)
Distribution List
TELUS Communications Inc. regulatory.affairs@telus.com
Bragg Communications Inc. regulatory.matters@corp.eastlink.ca
Quebecor Media Inc. regaffairs@quebecor.com
Rogers Communications Canada Inc. rwi_gr@rci.rogers.com
BC Broadband Association admin@bcba.ca
Lytton Area Wireless Society daniel@lyttonnet.com
CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp. Denise.duncan@cwct.ca
Disclosure
TELUS TN 590 filed on 26 April 2024, TELUS Communications Inc. Report on the Economic Evaluation for Pole Attachment Rates in Alberta and British Columbia.
For page 5 of the study report, disclose the following:
- Disclosure of Paragraph 11 of Attachment 1.
For the listed table which is provided as an attachment to the study report, disclose the following:
- Attachment 2, Table 4: Disclosure of ‘Wholly Owned’ values of Embedded Cost, Net Book Value and Depreciation for BC+AB totals in Table 4, section Accounting Cost Summary (excluding strands).
- Date modified: