Telus calls for small cell attachment ruling to be postponed

The CRTC should not rule on a Quebecor Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. application for the regulator to compel BCE Inc. to allow small cell technologies to be attached to Bell’s poles at rates set by the Support Structure Service Tariffs until a review of mobile wireless services is complete, Telus Corp. is arguing. In an intervention to Rogers and Quebecor’s Part 1 application, uploaded to the CRTC website on June 15, Telus said the applicability of those tariffs for wireless antenna deployments were being addressed in the review and it would be “premature to order carriers to begin implementing access obligations which are currently being considered and in the process of deployment.” “It would be a mistake to order immediate access under the terms of existing support structure tariffs when there are obviously many questions that must be resolved, especially when those questions are already before the Commission in an ongoing proceeding,” Telus said in its intervention. Rogers and Quebecor filed the Part 1 application on May 13, saying Bell had refused to grant access to its poles in accordance with the tariffs for more than 12 months. Bell has insisted that wireless attachments are governed exclusively by the tower sharing conditions of licence established by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in refusing to process applications according to the tariffs, Rogers and Quebecor claimed in their application. Technical and administrative details need to be addressed before access to wireline support structures can be granted, Telus argued in its intervention, saying the tariffs needed updating to specifically include small cell attachments, as well as the introduction of a permit process. “The existing support structure tariff is based on attachments to assist in the provision of wireline connectivity, and never contemplated attachments for small cells for cellular wireless networks,” its intervention states. In a separate intervention, Shaw Communications Inc. supported Rogers and Videotron Part 1, stating Bell should be compelled to process applications in accordance with the tariffs from any company who fit the tariff’s description of a “licensee.” The tariff states a licensee is a Canadian carrier as defined in the Telecommunications Act, or a cable television undertaking licenced or exempted by the CRTC. Shaw also argued for the CRTC to compel all incumbent local exchange carriers, not just Bell, to grant access to support structures for small cell attachments to be installed.

Telus calls for small cell attachment ruling to be postponed

Brief | June 17, 2020

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Telus calls for small cell attachment ruling to be postponed

Brief | June 17, 2020

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