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Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution List

Gatineau, 7 May 2025

Our reference: 1011-NOC2023-0056

BY EMAIL

Distribution List

Subject: Procedural letter - Items filed pursuant to Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-56, Notice of hearing – Review of the wholesale high-speed access service framework – Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers follow-up to Telecom Order CRTC 2025-13 - staff ruling on disclosure requests of certain information filed in confidence and further process

This letter addresses requests for disclosure of information filed in confidence in the above-noted proceeding by Bell Canada, Bell Aliant and Bell MTS.

On 31 January 2025, the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (“CNOC”) filed a request for disclosure of information for which confidentiality had been claimed regarding Bell Aliant TN 569 (A/B/C/D), Bell Canada TN 7664 (A/B/C) and Bell MTS TN 852 (A/B/C/D). Bell Canada filed a response on 10 February 2025.

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 more fulsome 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 CNOC, as well as reply comments from Bell Canada and considers that Bell Canada’s disclosures, including its additional disclosure in reply to the request from the CNOC, is sufficient to have a complete record, and that the potential harm caused by further disclosure would outweigh the public interest in this case.

On 11 March 2024, Commission staff considered that Bell Canada would be permitted to submit proposed rates and associated cost models for the provision of wholesale aggregated high-speed access (HSA) services in its operating territories in Atlantic Canada and Manitoba, as none of this information had been filed to date. Commission staff advised that further process related to these submissions would be established at a future date.

Commission staff considers that parties have had access to the public record for these items for approximately one year. Commission staff therefore considers that parties have had ample time to have formulated their submissions in advance of the process being established.

Staff is setting the following process:

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Chris Noonan
Director, Competitor Services & Costing Implementation
Telecommunications Sector

Attach (1) Distribution List

Distribution list

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