Telecom Policy Review: Hurry Up and Wait

Cabinet must form first An official at Industry Canada told Telemanagement last month that the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel’s recommendations won’t be released until after the federal election and a new Cabinet is formed. The TPRP was to have released its recommendations before the end of last year. The official noted that work on the final report and recommendations were to be completed mid-January, but translation and printing would delay the report’s release. Group Calls for Telecom PreservationBasic telecommunications goals are under attack from big business, and the federal government needs to preserve and promote them, according to a declaration from 37 national organizations. Led by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the declaration identifies specific principles and protections in the Telecommunications Act that are to be defended and promoted by the federal government, including consumer protection and improved access for rural communities and persons with disabilities. "Regulating the telecommunications industry in Canada is essential to the economic health of many communities including rural communities which companies may feel are too expensive to service and to lower income people who can’t afford access," Michael Janigan, executive director of PIAC, said in a news release. The following are three of the specific principles outlined in the declaration:Government and regulatory intervention is needed to ensure that Canadians of all incomes levels and in all regions of the country, including those with disabilities, have access to good quality, reliable and functional telecommunications services at affordable and reasonable prices; Sector-specific regulatory intervention is needed to ensure that Canadians have access to effective enforcement and redress mechanisms, and are not held responsible for telecommunications fraud that they cannot control; Regulatory intervention should be designed to prevent the degradation of telecommunications service quality, affordability, availability and reliability, rather than to respond to such policy failures only after they have developed. "The declaration affirms grassroots support for these principles – which are under direct attack by large telecommunications companies," said John Lawford, PIAC’s counsel. "The declaration is a direct response to the government’s telecommunications policy review presently underway." Rogers Complains of ILEC PricesRogers Wireless Inc. and Rogers Telecom Inc. have complained to the CRTC that they are being overcharged for access to incumbent telephone facilities. They say the ILECs are charging them retail rates as opposed to competitor service rates as mandated in Telecom Decision 2005-6, released February 3, 2005. The companies want the CRTC to order the incumbents, including Bell Canada and Telus Corp., to rebate all over-charges.Telus POPs CompetitorsTelus Corp. has won a decision at the CRTC with respect to the requirement that competitors must have a point of presence in Canada to be able to obtain access to incumbent telephone companies’ facilities. The company argued that by not maintaining POPs in Canada, competitors contravene the CRTC prohibition against simple resale. Without POPs, competitors also go against the commission’s policy of promoting facilities-based competition. MTS Allstream Inc. and Rogers Telecom Inc. supported the Telus application, while Bell Canada and MCI Canada opposed it. Bell argued the CDN decision (Telecom Decision 2005-6, released in February 2005) didn’t restrict the termination of CDN circuits to within Canada. MCI noted that requiring a POP in Canada would create an artificial and unnecessary burden to entry for resellers. Ultimately, the CRTC ruled in favour of Telus’ application. "In the commission’s view, if...the relevant POP is located outside of Canada, the process of adding value is, by definition, taking place outside of Canada," the CRTC concluded in Telecom Decision 2006-1, released on January 6. Quebec ISPs Get Bell BreakThe CRTC has ordered Bell Canada to reduce by 50% its wholesale tariffs for naked DSL. The issue was brought to the fore by the Quebec Coalition of ISPs last year when it complained to the CRTC that it was economically impossible for its members to offer DSL because the wholesale rates charged by Bell exceeded the retail rates the telco was charging customers.

Telecom Policy Review: Hurry Up and Wait

News | 02/01/2006 5:00 am EST

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