The CRTC last Friday denied an August 2024 application for relief from Iristel following the disconnection of its telecommunications services by Northwestel.
The commission had previously denied an Iristel review-and-vary application regarding the CRTC’s June 2024 decision that found Iristel did not provide sufficient evidence showing it was wronged in an interconnection dispute with Bell and its subsidiary Northwestel.
In its latest decision on the matter, the CRTC said the record shows Iristel did not enter into a deferred payment agreement with Northwestel within the prescribed deadline. According to the commission, Northwestel provided correspondence between it and Iristel showing it repeatedly extended the deadline for Iristel to make payment in full or enter into a deferred payment agreement, and that Iristel either refused or failed to do so. Northwestel also said it met with Iristel the day before disconnection was due to take place to finalize a deferred payment agreement with Iristel, but no agreement was concluded.
The commission found Northwestel did not breach the two carriers’ master agreement for local interconnection (MALI) or its general tariff and the Telecommunications Act when it disconnected services to Iristel for failing to settle accounts that were past due.
In the commission’s view, Northwestel was entitled to disconnect services to Iristel, including shared-cost interconnection facilities, because Iristel did not enter into a deferred payment agreement by the deadline.
The commission also found Northwestel was entitled to issue late payment charges to Iristel for the amounts owing. Finally, the CRTC said imposing an administrative monetary penalty on Northwestel is not warranted.
