By Denis Carmel
GATNIEAU – In a wholesale regime, competitor Quality of Service (QoS) is an important factor to ensure the incumbents provide a consistent level of quality for processes associated with installations and repairs so competitors receive a level of service which enables them to compete effectively and to provide service to their end users efficiently.
With the ability for the Commission to issue administrative penalties, the focus is now on measuring and reporting rather than relying on complaints and imposing rate rebates.
The Commission had determined that the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) Business Process Working Group was the best…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – Late in 2019, in following up its universal service objective decision, the CRTC decided to study the barriers to building new facilities or to accessing or interconnecting with existing facilities in order to extend broadband networks more efficiently into underserved areas, including areas where, due to a lack of such networks, speeds don’t meet the service objectives.
Of course, in March 2020, the pandemic hit, and a vast number of Canadians went home to work, becoming completely dependent on their home’s high-speed Internet to continue work and school. Access to high-speed Internet rapidly became a political…
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Survey also says Canadians wants new wholesale rates upheld
By Ahmad Hathout
As the Supreme Court weighs whether to hear an incumbent appeal in the wholesale rate case, the Competitive Operators Network Consortium (CNOC) has released a survey that finds 89 per cent of Canadians think the new rates should be implemented.
Last month, the country’s largest telecom companies filed an appeal to the highest court in the land against a decision by the Federal Court of Appeal that dismissed its case against new, lower internet rates small providers pay for network space from the bigger service providers.
The incumbents have fought…
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Those who thought the 13-day CBC licencing hearing would be boring, think again.
By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – In an addendum to the Notice of Hearing on the renewal of the CBC’s broadcast licences, issued on December 18, the CRTC voiced its irritation at the Corporation in a rather terse manner.
“The Commission is dissatisfied with the Corporation’s reply. It is important for the Commission to have the necessary information to consider how the Corporation is, through its programming, reflecting the circumstances and aspirations of all members of Canadian society. The Commission intends to question the Corporation on these issues at the…
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MONTREAL – Bell Canada today expanded on its plan simplify the process for service providers needing access to aerial infrastructure (poles, mostly) in Québec.
The company has been sharply criticized from many corners for the slow, onerous processes network builders must navigate in order to attach wires and other gear to Bell poles. This year the company has acknowledged this is a problem and pledged to make changes.
The issue of support structures (on a national basis) is also the subject of a full CRTC proceeding.
Service providers, says today’s announcement, “will now be able to conduct…
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GATINEAU – In the ongoing dispute between Bell subsidiary Cablevision and Vidéotron about who should bear the cost of points of interconnection (POIs) upgrades in Rouyn-Noranda and Val d’Or, in northwestern Québec, Cablevision filed its submission on December 14 and Vidéotron responded on December 16.
Cablevision denies any wrongdoing and asserts it only applied the CRTC approved tariffs relevant to the case, saying that networks updates costs should be borne by Cablevision, but changes to interconnection equipment should be paid by competitors. It would even envisage that with new competitors coming into the market, Cablevision would charge the new…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – Back in August 2020, the CRTC found both Telus and Iristel in violation of the Telecom Act and after Iristel issued a Review and Vary (R&V) application, Telus filed one of its own, in November.
While Iristel had been determined guilty of traffic stimulation with area code 867 calls, Telus was accused of taking matters in its own hands and ending the practice by not connecting what it identified as dubious calls.
Iristel retorted on December 14, arguing that Telus was, in fact, violating the Telecommunications Act and restated the case of a lady, living…
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THERE IS NOBODY I’ve talked to recently who isn’t looking forward to a little break this holiday season.
We’ve all been made exhausted by 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic which has dominated everything.
That said, the cable, radio, television and telecom industries should feel nothing but enormous pride in the hard work all of you have done this year for the millions of Canadians who need their connectivity, their news, their favourite shows, movies, music and radio personalities, to get through so many fraught days.
The truly brilliant stories of companies and their employees going above and beyond to keep the broadband…
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CRTC launches process to have fees waived or reimbursed
GATINEAU — As previously announced in the federal government’s Fall Economic Statement on November 30, eligible television and radio stations will have their Part II broadcasting licence fees waived in 2020-21, which is expected to provide as much as $50 million in relief for these broadcasters.
The Department of Canadian Heritage on Tuesday issued a press release to confirm the waiving of the Part II fees, and reiterated the measure does not include cable, satellite and IPTV providers (i.e., BDUs), “as their revenues are not as dependent on advertising,” says…
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OTTAWA – Nine days before the deadline, the Federal Cabinet rendered its decision in the appeal by AFX Communications of the CRTC decision with respect to reports and compensation for toll‑free calls over payphones, originally issued on December 20, 2019.
In that decision, the Commission directed Bell Canada to provide monthly reports for toll‑free calls made from AFX payphones connected to Bell Canada’s lines, and determined—based on a previous Commission order—that the applicable compensation rate is $0.25 per toll‑free call for lines other than pay telephone access lines. AFX argued that some calls should bear the tariff of $0.80.
AFX filed…
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