OTTAWA – The CRTC needs more information from the country’s telcos on their pending lower-cost data-only plans for mobile wireless services.
In a letter dated July 20 from Philippe Kent, competition and emergency services policy director, the Commission made specific requests for more information from the national wireless carriers as well as other stakeholders who filed interventions by the June 29 deadline.
“Commission staff is of the view that additional information is needed to further develop the record of the proceeding”, reads the letter. “As such, parties are asked to respond to the requests for information appended to this letter. Parties will also be given an opportunity to comment on the new evidence that will be filed, and reply to those comments if they so choose.”
The parties identified on the letter’s distribution list, (Bell, Rogers, Telus, Eastlink, Quebecor/Videotron, Shaw, SaskTel, Ice Wireless, Xplornet, and various consumer groups), were directed to file responses to the questions set out in the letter’s attachment by August 10, with requests for disclosure of information designated as confidential to be filed by August 17. Responses to these requests must be filed by August 22, and replies to these responses by August 24, 2018.
Any party to this proceeding may file comments on the responses to the requests for information by September 7, and any party that filed responses to requests for information may file reply comments by September 21, 2018, continues the letter.
The CRTC stressed that submissions must be received, not merely sent, by these dates, and reminded the groups that any comments or reply comments must be limited to the contents and matters raised in the responses to the requests for information, and to not introduce new evidence or directly address evidence that was previously submitted.
As Cartt.ca reported in March, the Regulator asked the three big incumbents to submit new low-cost data only plans for consumers by April 23rd. It directed that the plans can’t be tied to customer income, have to be made available on the latest network, be nationwide, and be available on post- and pre-paid plans. Plus, those plans have to fill the hole in the market for low cost plans for low income consumers, which the Commission says is a serious problem. (We’ve dubbed it skinny wireless after the CRTC’s skinny basic TV).
More to come.
