The CRTC last week approved an implementation plan from incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) Westport Telephone Company Limited, operating as WTC Communications, for local competition by Bell Canada in the exchange of Westport, Ont.
Given there is no other competitive local exchange carriers currently operating in WTC Communications’ local interconnection region, the ILEC said it does not already have the necessary processes in place. In its implementation plan, it asked for 60 days to file competitor services tariffs related to local network interconnection in Westport once the commission approved its implementation plan. It further proposed that Bell could start competing in its serving territory 180 days after the plan was approved.
In its decision, the CRTC said the services and network components WTC Communications proposed to make available to Bell are similar to those the commission has approved in previous decisions for small ILECs implementing local competition in their serving territories. In addition, the commission said the timelines proposed by WTC Communications are reasonable and consistent with implementation timelines previously approved for other small ILECs.
As such, the commission has directed WTC Communications to file competitor services tariff pages within 60 days of its July 12 decision, and to provide information and assistance to Bell, as required, to implement local competition in accordance with the implementation plan approved by the commission.
When submitting its plan, WTC Communications had said it was not currently able to propose a budgetary assessment of the implementation cost and cost recovery method for the implementation of local competition and local number portability. The commission has directed the ILEC to submit a proposal for recovery of its implementation costs by Jan. 27, 2025, if it wishes to recover those costs.
