OTTAWA – The CRTC has turned down a request by Iristel seeking interim relief from Bell Canada’s rate increases for certain circuits.
In an application dated December 19, 2018, Iristel asked the Commission for both interim and final relief regarding alleged anti-competitive conduct by Bell Canada over the rates that it charges Iristel for circuits associated with certain transport services.
Iristel submitted that the Commission must decide whether Bell Canada engaged in anti-competitive conduct by “unilaterally and without proper warning increasing its rates for certain forborne circuits” from by 80% to 250% in some cases, and by over 125% in others, both of which it claimed would cause it to suffer irreparable harm.
Noting that the threshold for irreparable harm is high, the CRTC cited a lack of evidence in denying Iristel’s request in its decision Thursday.
“…Iristel has provided no evidence that it will be forced to increase its retail rates as a result of Bell Canada’s rate increases, nor has it indicated the amount of its potential retail rate increases,” reads TD CRTC 2019-86. “In addition, Iristel has not provided evidence of how its reputation in the marketplace as a provider of competitively priced voice services would be damaged if it passed on its costs, particularly if it continues to purchase Bell Canada’s services for only a limited period of time until it migrates to an alternative supplier. Iristel has assumed that it will obtain more favourable rates from an alternative supplier than from Bell Canada. Further, the assertion of an adverse impact on competition is, at this point, unsubstantiated and speculative.”
