CRTC approves Rogers new wholesale high-speed access service tier, ignores TekSavvy wholesale customer concerns

The CRTC approved on an interim basis a proposal by Rogers Communications Inc. to introduce a new wholesale high-speed access (HSA) service tier to its access services tariff for third-party internet access service. In a Wednesday decision, the commission gave interim approval for fibre to the node (FTTN) speeds of 50/10 Mbps disaggregated wholesale HSA service, with a monthly rate of $26.50; and fibre to the home (FTTH) 50/10 Mbps disaggregated wholesale HSA service with a rate of $32.37. The approval is effective Nov. 24. It also approved on a final basis FTTN aggregated wholesale HSA service of 50/10 Mbps for a monthly rate of $28.65. Rogers filed the application with the commission in Feb. 2021 because it was “announcing to its Ontario retail customers a new speed tier Feb. 23, 2021.” It noted in its application that the aggregated wholesale HSA 50/10 Mbps service rate is based on the next lower speed tier of 45/4 Mbps approved by the commission in 2012. It also noted that the disaggregated wholesale HSA 50/10 Mbps service rates are the rates currently approved on an interim basis by the commission in 2017. TekSavvy Solutions Inc. submitted an intervention on the matter in March, claiming that Rogers had not made the new service speeds available to wholesale customers and that the incumbent confirmed to TekSavvy via email that it would not make the wholesale HSA 50/10 Mbps service available to wholesale customers until its service received commission approval. It noted to the commission that in 2019 Rogers introduced wholesale HSA 10 Mbps service which made available to wholesale customers without commission approval and also referenced a May 2020 letter from the CRTC to Shaw Communications Inc. “intended to compel Shaw to offer its retail 1 Gbps HSA service concurrently with its wholesale HSA service offering.” TekSavvy argued that by allowing Rogers to make new speeds available on the retail market, but not on a wholesale basis, would enable the incumbent ”to stay ahead of competition.” TekSavvy therefore requested that the commission issue an expedited determination requiring Rogers to make the service available to its wholesale customers immediately and to issue a clarification that “carriers are required to make new retail services available concurrently on a wholesale basis, either through the filing of an ex parte application in advance of making a service available on the retail market.” The commission determined that TekSavvy’s concerns were out of the scope of the proceeding. “Tariff proceedings focus on the tariff notices themselves and the rates and services in question, rather than wider issues related to the commission’s processes. It is open for parties to avail themselves of the commission’s application processes not tied to specific rates or service should they wish general matters to be determined by the commission,” the CRTC wrote. — Reporting by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca.

CRTC approves Rogers new wholesale high-speed access service tier, ignores TekSavvy wholesale customer concerns

News | November 24, 2021

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CRTC approves Rogers new wholesale high-speed access service tier, ignores TekSavvy wholesale customer concerns

News | November 24, 2021

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