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Telecom Order CRTC 2025-13

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Ottawa–Gatineau, 20 January 2025

Public records: 1011-NOC2023-0056; Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership Tariff Notices 569, 569A, 569B, 569C and 569D; Bell Canada Tariff Notices 7664, 7664A, 7664B and 7664C; Bell MTS Inc. Tariff Notices 852, 852A, 852B, 852C and 852D; Saskatchewan Telecommunications Tariff Notices 378, 378A, 378B, 378C and 378D; TELUS Communications Inc. Tariff Notices 583, 583A, 583B, 657, 657A, 657B, and 657C

Interim approval of tariff pages and terms and conditions for aggregated wholesale high-speed access services over fibre-to-the-premises facilities

Summary

The Commission is taking steps to promote greater competition between Internet service providers. Greater competition will empower Canadians with new choices and will make providers work harder to win Canadians’ business.

To do this, the Commission is providing competitors with workable access to the fibre networks of Canada’s large telephone companies by 13 February 2025. With this access, competitors will be able to use the latest available technology to offer Canadians a variety of communications services over fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), including Internet, television, home phone, and smart home services.

In October 2024, the Commission set interim rates that competitors will pay for this access. This order sets, on an interim basis, the terms and conditions that govern that access.

The Commission will continue to move quickly to set final terms and conditions and rates for aggregated wholesale FTTP services.

Background

  1. In Telecom Notice of Consultation 2023-56, the Commission directed the large incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and cable carriers to file proposed tariffs and cost studies for fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) facilities over aggregated wholesale high-speed access (HSA) services (aggregated wholesale FTTP services).
  2. In response, companies filed proposed tariff pages which included terms and conditions for their aggregated wholesale FTTP services.
  3. In Telecom Regulatory Policy 2024-180, the Commission determined, among other things, that aggregated wholesale FTTP services would be mandated for Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership (Bell Aliant); Bell Canada; Bell MTS Inc. (Bell MTS); Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel); and TELUS Communications Inc. (TELUS).
  4. Additionally, Telecom Regulatory Policy 2024-180 required Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, Bell MTS, SaskTel, and TELUS to file updated tariff pages for aggregated wholesale FTTP services in all regions, reflecting the determinations in that policy.
  5. In Telecom Order 2024-261, the Commission approved, on an interim basis, aggregated FTTP access rates, capacity-based billing rates, and service charges for Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, Bell MTS, SaskTel, TELUS in British Columbia and Alberta, and TELUS in Quebec. The Commission also directed these companies to issue new tariff pages reflecting the interim approved rates.
  6. The Commission received interventions related to the proposed terms and conditions from the Competitive Network Operators of Canada, Vaxination Informatique, and TekSavvy Solutions Inc.

Commission’s analysis

  1. Approved tariff pages, including terms and conditions, are necessary for the successful implementation of aggregated wholesale FTTP services by no later than 13 February 2025, as per Telecom Regulatory Policy 2024-180. The proposed terms and conditions in the tariff pages filed by the companies, with approval on an interim basis, will help support a workable service.
  2. The Commission will finalize terms and conditions for aggregated wholesale FTTP services upon complete analysis of the public record. An additional process will be established to consider the final terms and conditions. This will allow for a more fulsome record on the proposed terms and conditions for all companies that are required to provide aggregated wholesale FTTP services.
  3. The Commission is therefore of the view that approval of the tariff pages (including terms and conditions) proposed by Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, Bell MTS, SaskTel, and TELUS (in British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec) is appropriate on an interim basis.

Conclusion

  1. In light of the above, the Commission approves, on an interim basis, the proposed tariff pages, including the terms and conditions for aggregated wholesale FTTP services submitted by Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, Bell MTS, SaskTel and TELUS in the tariff notices listed on the public record of this order.

Secretary General

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