NL Update

ILEC affiliates must comply with section 25 of Telecommunications Act, CRTC rulesThe CRTC has ruled that ILEC-affiliated telephone companies will be treated in the exact same manner as the ILEC in tariff applications. “When examining a proposed tariff filed by an affiliated carrier, the commission will apply the same criteria, with respect to the imputation test and the bundling rules, as it would apply if the tariff were filed by the affiliated ILEC,” reads Telecom Decision 2004-50. The July 22 decision is the result of a follow-up proceeding to Telecom Decision 2002-76 which laid out rules regarding carrier services groups and safeguards for affiliated carriers (NL, Dec. 16/02).Reverse directory services framework establishedThe CRTC has found that limited reverse search directory assistance is an appropriate service to offer consumers and established in Telecom Decision 2004-49 the framework, including safeguards for the provision of the service by incumbent carriers. As measures to protect the privacy of consumers, the commission ruled that the street address cannot be used as a search criterion, but allowed the use of the general location such as city or town or postal code. Additional safeguards include the restrictions by commercial entities to collect personal information and the subscriber must give consent for the information to be collected.Call-Net files Part VII application for relief on inter-office transport servicesCall-Net Enterprises Inc. says Aliant Telecom is charging rates that are too high for inter-office digital transport services and is asking the CRTC to create a new tariff. In particular, Call-Net wants Aliant to file a Category I Competitor tariff for an inter-office digital transport service between Halifax NS and St. John’s NL. If that is unacceptable to the commission, then it wants Aliant to file a Category II Competitor tariff. The company notes in its July 14 application that rates in other parts of Eastern Canada are much cheaper than the 591-mile route for which Aliant charges $145,000 per month for DS-3 service and $435,000 per month for an OC-3 service. “This price is at least 14 times greater than the market rates for similar length routes in Eastern Canada or in other words represents a markup from market rates of approximately 1300%,” Call-Net writes. This compares to rates for Montreal to Halifax (491 miles) or Montreal to Charlottetown (504 miles) of $10,000 per month, the company adds. Union recommends rejecting Bell’s final offerThe Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) has recommended its members reject Bell Canada’s final offer. The telco noted in a July 22 news release that the CEP will take its final offer to a vote of the 7,097 technicians. However, the company is surprised at the union’s recommendation. “We are surprised and disappointed that the union leadership is recommending rejection given union officials have been quoted in the media as characterizing Bell’s final offer as ‘very much improved’. This is a fair offer that balances the needs of the employees and the company in a highly competitive environment. Bell has made its position clear: there will be no further offers tabled by the company,” Bell Canada’s senior VP operations Ellen Malcolmson said in a news release. Nortel to help drive E911 access for IP-based telephony networksNortel Networks Corp. has joined a Texas A&M University research project that has as a primary objective to drive access to E911 service for IP-based networks. The move is part of Nortel’s commitment for industry participation as called for by the Federal Communications Commission. The equipment maker will donate its Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) to the program, which is looking at emergency communications in a pure IP environment, what the industry has identified as the ‘third stage’ of E911 deployment. The project hopes to conduct a trial in the first quarter of 2005. Nortel’s MCS will be used in public safety answering points. YAK inks marketing agreement with iMarketing for WorldCity VoIP launchYAK Communications Inc. has agreed to use Internet Marketing Ltd. (iMarketing) for its web-based marketing campaign relating primarily to its WorldCity VoIP service launch expected in September 2004. “Yak Communications selected iMarketing Ltd. because of its technical knowledge, experience and intelligence displayed to date for internet-based marketing, tracking and surveying,” company president and CEO Charles Zweber said in a news release. “These web-based marketing programs will be similar to other customized programs that iMarketing developed for some of its Fortune 500 clients such as Yahoo!, HotJobs, Dow Jones’ The Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine,” Zweber added. PRIMUS to offer wireless servicesPRIMUS Telecommunications Canada Inc. will launch a wireless offering to Canadians, piggybacking on the GSM/GPRS network owned and operated by Microcell Telecommunications Inc., the company announced July 26. Access to Microcell’s network will allow PRIMUS to reach over 80% of all urban-dwelling Canadians. The two companies have signed a multi-year agreement. Details about the PRIMUS offering were not available this morning.

NL Update

News | July 26, 2004

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