CRTC says okay to expedited process
GATINEAU – Independent ISP Primus has filed an application to the CRTC to be granted relief of a Bell Canada rate increase for its unbundled local loops (ULLs) that is slated to come into effect on January 1, 2021.
Primus also asked the Commission require Bell Canada to maintain the rates it currently charges Primus for ULLs for a duration of 12 months, in order to allow Primus to migrate the customers it serves via ULLs to an alternative service.
Primus had an agreement with Bell since December 31, 2016, until January 1, 2021.
On October 9, 2020, Primus told the CRTC it received notice that the rates would increase, dramatically. “Rates increases of 82.98% to 427.24% cannot be characterized as anything other than unreasonable, unjustified and punitive in nature,” Primus wrote in is application.
Some rates would be higher than Primus charges its clients.
“Primus does not challenge Bell’s right to change its pricing for forborne services, only in cases where to do so would be discriminatory and subject to an undue and unreasonable disadvantage,” its application reads.
Then, on December 15 (the very next day), Primus wrote again to the Commission saying that since the previous day, Bell had changed its offering. “While the previous rate increases contained in the 9 October 2020, ULL rate increase were egregious, further rate increases up to 1657.47% are beyond the pale.”
“Bell had made an alternative ‘offer’ pursuant to which Bell would forego the coercive rate increases it is proposing, but contingent on Primus accepting commercial terms that are wholly preferential to Bell, discriminatory and would subject Primus to significant undue preference and undue and unreasonable disadvantage,” Primus went on, in its December 15 application.
Those details were redacted by Primus.
The CRTC response came in a letter issued on December 17: “Commission staff is of the view that under these circumstances an expedited process to consider Primus’s application is in the public interest.”
Bell Canada may respond by December 29, 2020, and the reply by Primus must be in by January 4, 2021.
Some people’s Christmas holidays plans have just been changed.
