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Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Samer Bishay (Iristel Inc.) and Imran Khan (Northwestel Inc.)

Gatineau, 4 March 2025

Our reference: 8622-J64-202404531

BY EMAIL

Samer Bishay
Chief Executive Officer
Iristel Inc.
675 Cochrane Drive, East Tower, 6th Floor
Markham, Ontario  L3R 0B8
regulatory@iristel.com

Imran Khan
Assistant General Counsel
Northwestel Inc.
5201 Franklin Avenue #100, NT
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories  X1A 2P1
regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca

Subject: Iristel inc. Part 1 Request for relief following the disconnection of telecommunication services — Request for Information

On 23 August 2024, Iristel Inc (Iristel), submitted a Part 1 application to the Commission requesting relief following the disconnection of telecommunication services. Iristel requested that the Commission find that Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) was not permitted to unilaterally disconnect shared cost interconnection facilities because of billing disputes.

In its 25 September 2024 Answer, Northwestel stated that it disconnected all services associated with accounts that were more than 60 days in arrears notwithstanding if certain services contained in those accounts were in good standing.

To better understand this issue and the impacts of the disconnection, Commission staff is requesting more information.

Iristel and Northwestel are required to respond to the questions at Appendix 1 by 14 March 2025, serving their response on the other party by the same date.

Iristel and Northwestel will then have an opportunity to file a reply by 19 March 2025.

As set out in section 39 of the Act, and in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-961, Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, persons may designate certain information as confidential.  A detailed explanation on 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 disclosure.  In addition to the confidential version, an abridged version of the document omitting only the confidential information must be filed or reasons why an abridged version cannot be filed must be provided.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Suneil Kanjeekal
Director, Dispute Resolution and Regulatory Implementation
Telecommunications Sector, CRTC

c.c.: Joël Beaupré, CRTC, joel.beaupre@crtc.gc.ca

Attach. (1)

Appendix 1

Questions for Iristel

  1. Identify each telecommunications service (i.e., data, voice, etc.) provided by Iristel to its customers that were affected when Northwestel executed the disconnection on 7 August 2024.
  2. What geographic areas were affected by the 7 August 2024 disconnection of Iristel’s telecommunication services by Northwestel?

  3. When the disconnection occurred on 7 August 2024 specify the:

    1. number of Iristel residential end-users (and those of affiliated companies) whose services were impacted by the disconnection;
    2. number of business customers whose services were impacted by the disconnection;
    3. number of wholesale customers and the number of end users served by these wholesale customers whose services were impacted by the disconnection.
    4. number of complaints received from Iristel customers affected by the disconnection, if any, and their nature?
  4. Provide details regarding the extent of the 7 August 2024 disconnection effects on end customer’s services, including the length of time for which they were affected. Did the end users lose specific functionalities or were their services completely cut-off, resulting in a complete loss of all functionalities (e.g.phone calls worked, but some aspects of the phone service were affected; for instance, long distance or ability to reach certain locations or end-users was not working)?
  5. Did Iristel issue any notices to its wholesale customers and/or end-user customers before the 7 August 2024 disconnection. If not, explain how Iristel fulfilled its responsibilities to notify its end-customers in conformity with the requirements set out in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2017-235?
  6. Provide an explanation and any documents (agreements, contracts, etc.) that set out the terms and conditions for the usage and potential disconnection of Northwestel’s shared cost interconnection facilities, referenced in Iristel’s application.

  7. Specify the services provided by Northwestel’s shared cost interconnection facilities to Iristel . On 7 August 2024, for which of these services did Iristel:

    1. owe money
    2. did not owe money
  8. Is Iristel charged for the SS7 signalling interconnection that is served by the shared cost interconnection facilities referenced in Iristel’s application? If not, explain why?
  9. Provide any additional information or details that may be useful to the Commission in relation to the shared cost interconnection facilities referenced in this application.

Questions for Northwestel

  1. Identify each telecommunications service provided to Iristel that was disconnected on 7 August 2024?
  2. Were any Northwestel customers (other than Iristel and its customers) affected by the 7 August 2024 disconnection, and if so, how?
  3. What number of complaints were received from Northwestel customers affected by the by the 7 August 2024 disconnection, if any, and their nature?
  4. Provide an explanation and any documents (agreements, contracts, etc.) that set out the terms and conditions for the usage and potential disconnection of Northwestel’s shared cost interconnection facilities, referenced in Iristel’s application.
  5. Is Iristel charged for the SS7 signalling interconnection that are served by the shared cost interconnection facilities referenced in Iristel’s application? If so, why?
  6. Provide any additional information or details that may be useful to the Commission in relation to the shared cost interconnection facilities referenced in this application.
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