TekSavvy also calls for lower, emergency wholesale rates

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is joining a call made last week by Conservative Industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner that the CRTC intervene to lower its wholesale rates to the level determined in its August 2019 decision, on an emergency basis. On Monday TekSavvy said in a statement that "the government and the CRTC must enact emergency provisions to put in place the final rates from the CRTC's August 2019 decision on an urgent basis while ongoing appeals processes play out," referring to a federal lawsuit from the big telecoms. In September, the Federal Court of Appeal issued a stay, pausing the implementation of those lower new rates. In November, the leave to appeal was granted by the court. TekSavvy’s request differs slightly from that made by Rempel Garner. Whereas the Conservative MP called on ISED to "issue an emergency COVID-19 directive to the big telcos to respect the August 2019 rate decision," TekSavvy is instead calling for a set of interim rates applied on an emergency basis. In a phone interview Tuesday, TekSavvy's vice-president of regulatory affairs Andy Kaplan-Myrth said that the regulator's intervention to set emergency wholesale rates would not interfere with the stay and the process taking place before the courts. He said that the formula laid out in the August decision is simply the most convenient and available method for establishing emergency rates on an interim basis. The appeal before the courts regarding the final wholesale rates would not be affected, he said. Asked if the CRTC had considered issuing an emergency order to enforce its August wholesale rates decision, a CRTC spokesperson said that the regulator had not received an application to that effect. "We continue to monitor the communications industry as it responds to the pandemic," the regulator said in an email. Kaplan-Myrth conceded Tuesday that the company had not filed an application, but that he was "not sure that we ought to need to." "I hope the CRTC understands the urgency," he said, saying that the timelines for responses, replies, and comments of the standard CRTC application process are too slow for the kind of relief the company is seeking. The incumbent telecoms have also launched a review-and-vary process with the CRTC and a petition to the governor-in-council. Last Thursday, TekSavvy and the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) sent a letter to the CRTC alleging that the incumbent companies, from which smaller telecoms buy wholesale access, were tampering with installation and repair procedures during the ongoing pandemic, and asked the regulator to investigate. In late March, TekSavvy laid off 130 staff and implemented a flat $5 bill increase for its residential internet customers as of May, saying that the incumbents’ challenge of the August wholesale rates, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, left the company with no option In an emailed statement Tuesday, Telus Corp. accused TekSavvy and CNOC of trying to "politicize" the crisis. "The accusations levied by Teksavvy are not only categorically false as they relate to Telus, but they are also irresponsible in the context of this pandemic," the statement reads. "We are processing connection orders as we always have, and existing customers will continue to receive our highest levels of network availability and service as we adjust to increased user demand. " BCE Inc., for its part, did not address the allegations by TekSavvy and CNOC specifically, but said in an emailed statement that it had changed processes for the health of its technicians. "Bell has taken all appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of customers and team members, including installations and repairs for wholesale customers. As is the case for our retail customers, technicians will complete all necessary work outside the residence or business and will call the customer about how to connect equipment," the statement read. UPDATE: In a statement emailed Wednesday morning, Rogers Communications Inc. says it too has changed its installation procedures for health and safety reasons. "We introduced a safe, easy and no contact way to install or repair internet and TV services – customers of resellers are not disadvantaged in any way during this transition," the statement reads. Rogers said the comments from CNOC and TekSavvy "are inaccurate and misrepresent measures put in place to protect all customers and team members during this public health crisis.” — With reporting by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

TekSavvy also calls for lower, emergency wholesale rates

News | April 14, 2020

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

TekSavvy also calls for lower, emergency wholesale rates

News | April 14, 2020

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

Telus’ arguments for incumbent access to wholesale regime not supported by competitors

CRTC finalizes terms of Uvagut TV distribution

Bell won’t participate in subsidized broadband projects if wholesale access for Big Three continues, signs agreement with CNOC

CRTC announces changes to Broadband Fund

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us