‘Work together,’ CRTC tells wholesale-based ISPs, incumbents

The CRTC has responded to a letter from The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) and TekSavvy Solutions Inc. taking issue with changes to incumbent installation and repair procedures, saying it won’t require the filing of additional information in response to the complaint. CRTC staff said in a letter Wednesday that the regulator expects “wholesale service providers will continue to provide the best possible service consistent with existing policies and regulations, and to work collaboratively with their wholesale customers to keep Canadians in every region connected.” Earlier this month, CNOC and TekSavvy said in their initial letter the changes implemented by incumbents amount to unilateral tampering with regulated procedures. They asked the CRTC to “remind all service providers that all regulatory obligations continue to apply throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Wholesale-based internet service providers and the incumbents whose networks they buy wholesale access to have been battling for months over the CRTC’s move in August to lower wholesale rates. Conservative Industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner and TekSavvy recently called for the CRTC to implement those lower rates in response to the pandemic, despite a Federal Court halting their implementation as part of an appeal filed by the incumbents. In response to TekSavvy and CNOC’s letter to the CRTC, BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. said they had changed procedures for health and safety reasons. Rogers said CNOC and TekSavvy’s comment was inaccurate and misrepresented the new measures, while Telus Corp. accused TekSavvy and CNOC of trying to “politicize” the COVID-19 crisis. Shaw Communications Inc. sent a letter to the CRTC on April 17, saying CNOC and TekSavvy should have raised their concerns directly with the wholesale service providers. “Rushing to the media and the regulator with a broad, but very serious, allegation is irresponsible and destroys trust,” Shaw said. “Although it would be objectionable in normal circumstances, these tactics are especially egregious at this time, when the entire industry, and the entire country, are trying to address the challenges associated with COVID-19.” CRTC staff said in the letter they don’t think it’s necessary right now to require “the filing of additional information with the Commission as requested by TekSavvy and CNOC.” The letter said that when it expects “when appropriate precautionary measures are to be taken to limit the spread of COVID-19, wholesale customers must have appropriate notice of all process and other changes impacting them and are not subject to undue preference or unjust discrimination that would jeopardize their ability to serve their own customers or compete effectively.” It noted that as a result of the pandemic and Canadians staying at home, traffic volumes have significantly increased. “While these are very challenging times for the industry, including wholesale service providers and wholesale customers, which have had to adapt very rapidly, they are also extraordinarily trying times for community institutions, businesses of all sizes, and individual Canadians who now more than ever depend on getting and staying connected,” the CRTC said. “To meet this challenge, the industry has responded by introducing consumer-friendly measures and by other means, but it must also continue to work together and effectively collaborate in ensuring that the needs of Canadians for high quality communications services are met and no one is left behind in all regions of our country.” — With reporting by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

‘Work together,’ CRTC tells wholesale-based ISPs, incumbents

News | April 23, 2020

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‘Work together,’ CRTC tells wholesale-based ISPs, incumbents

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