Bell can block incumbent long-distance calls on local transit service: CRTC

The CRTC said in a telecom decision Friday that Bell Canada can block any long-distance calls to customers of small local incumbents that are delivered through Bell’s interconnection service. Bell offers a local transit interconnection service that allows competitors to route telephone traffic to other carriers through Bell’s network. In June Bell informed competitors it intended to block or apply a surcharge on long-distance calls that small incumbent providers routed through the interconnection service. But Quebecor Media Inc. and Rogers Communication Inc. asked the commission not to block or apply surcharges to the calls. They also asked the commission to allow long-distance to be delivered through the interconnection service. On Friday the commission said it is “not appropriate” for competitors to deliver long-distance calls to customers of small incumbent companies via the interconnection service because it gives them an advantage. The commission also said it falls upon competitors to separate local and long-distance calls to small incumbent customers and to route the calls to the appropriate service. The decision will take effect in 60 days. During the transition period, competitors must re-route long-distance calls. Dennis Béland, Quebecor’s senior director of regulatory affairs, said in an interview the company is “disappointed” with the decision, and described the toll on long-distance calls as a “hidden subsidy.” “We’re disappointed because we see that it basically imposes an inefficient network architecture and really the only reason being is to perpetuate a hidden subsidy for toll traffic,” he said. “We would have preferred a more direct solution which eliminates the hidden subsidy.” Béland added that the commission could take a different position on long-distance traffic routing after it issues its decision on the access to basic services proceeding, which is also looking at long-distance tolls. Bell said Friday it is pleased with the decision.

Bell can block incumbent long-distance calls on local transit service: CRTC

Brief | December 3, 2010

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