Bell, Northwestel, reach agreements with Iristel to suspend disconnection notices

Iristel Inc. and two BCE Inc. properties have reached separate agreements with Iristel to suspend disconnection notices in an ongoing dispute that is before the CRTC. In two separate letters sent to the commission Monday, Bell and Northwestel stated they will not proceed with the disconnection notices sent to Iristel while the CRTC completes its assessment of Iristel’s Part 1 application for relief. The dispute began on Sept. 21 when Bell Aliant threatened to disconnect Iristel. The next day Northwestel did the same thing. In northern Quebec, Bell and Iristel had maintained an interim interconnection agreement since 2015. However, in the preceding year, Iristel had requested assurances from the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) that it would upgrade its network, a request to which the incumbent did not acquiesce. Unable to resolve the matter through negotiations, Iristel took legal action against Bell in July. In response, Bell issued a disconnection order in September. In the case involving Northwestel, the company had announced in 2019 its plan to migrate its CCS7 interconnection point. Until that point, Iristel had been utilizing two interconnections with Telus Corp. In July 2020, Iristel sought a signaling point of interconnection from Northwestel, but this request was denied. Iristel initiated the practice of withholding payments in response. Eventually, an interconnection was established in the preceding July. Subsequently, the competitive local exchange carrier filed a lawsuit against the ILEC in June, prompting Bell to once again respond with a disconnection order. Irsitel filed a Part 1 with the commission and requested an expedited process. The CRTC granted the request and ordered Bell and Northwestel to maintain the telecommunication services until it has rendered a decision on the final relief, in a letter dated Oct. 21. In response, both companies committed to continuing Irsitel’s services until Oct. 31 but had expressed concern to the commission that Iristel would fall further into arrears during the review, and benefit from the postponement of disconnections. They also requested that commission staff help mediate an arrangement between Bell and Iristel for a longer-term suspension of Iristel's disconnection, involving good faith payments commensurate with monthly expenses. Iristel, in a response dated Oct. 17, agreed to enter into mediation with Bell and Northwestel, acknowledging the need for a negotiated resolution. The company cited ongoing disputes with Bell and Northwestel, including delays in disconnection requests, unprocessed service reduction requests, unaddressed credits for service failures, overbilling, and other operational issues. Subsequently, Bell and Northwestel participated in staff mediation processes and reached separate agreements with Iristel. The agreements, which remain confidential, include provisions for appropriate monthly payments, with renegotiation options if necessary. Bell and Northwestel have committed to not proceed with disconnection notices provided Iristel complies with the terms of the agreements. In the event of non-compliance, both companies reserve the right to exercise their disconnection rights. According to the letters sent to the commission, the agreements will be in place for the period during which the commission completes its assessment of the lristel application or for a period of four months, whichever comes first. – Reporting by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca and editing by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Bell, Northwestel, reach agreements with Iristel to suspend disconnection notices

News | October 26, 2023

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Bell, Northwestel, reach agreements with Iristel to suspend disconnection notices

News | October 26, 2023

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