ARCHIVED -  Telecom Order CRTC 97-1147

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Telecom Order

Ottawa, 20 August 1997
Telecom Order CRTC 97-1147
On 7 March 1997, Bell Canada (Bell) filed Tariff Notice (TN) 5967 proposing Wide Area Telephone Number Access (WATNA) service to provide wide area toll-free calling capability for service providers subscribing to Telephone Number Access service. On 12 March 1997, Bell filed TN 5967A to clarify the treatment of the bonuses and discounts for calling between the Toronto 416 and 905 area codes. The Commission granted interim approval to these proposals in Telecom Order CRTC 97-419 (Order 97-419) dated 27 March 1997.
File No.: TNs 5967/A
1. In the information filed with TN 5967, Bell stated that the proposed WATNA service was intended to replace Wide Area Customer Owned Paging Service (WACOPS) and provide a lower cost service with fewer features as an alternative to the Advantage Toll-Free Messaging option. Bell filed an imputation test with TN 5967.
2. On 27 March 1997, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) filed comments stating its opposition to the proposed WATNA service. It further stated that TN 5964 should be denied and that the Commission should, on an interim basis, reinstate the old WACOPS rates, or adopt similar rates currently offered by TELUS Communications Inc., while it investigates the uncertainties surrounding the WATNA service. The CWTA stated that the uncertainty arises from the use of the same cost study to justify the discontinuation of WACOPS, as well as the introduction of Advantage Toll-Free Messaging by Stentor, and WATNA by Bell, two similar services at substantially different prices.
3. Bell responded on 8 April 1997 that the discontinuation of WACOPS and the introduction of Advantage Toll-Free Messaging were approved by the Commission in Telecom Order CRTC 96-1087, dated 2 October 1996 (Order 96-1087), following an extensive proceeding initiated by Bell Canada and BC TEL - Destandardization and Withdrawal of Eleven-Digit Wide Area Paging Access Service, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 96-14, 26 April 1996, to which the CWTA was a party. Bell viewed CWTA's comments as being a request to review and vary Order 96-1087 without attempting to meet the Commission's criteria for such a request.
4. The Commission finds the cost studies filed with these services to be appropriate.
5. The Commission notes that in comparison with Advantage Toll-Free Messaging service, the proposed WATNA service is intended to offer a lower cost service with fewer features.
6. The Commission finds that it is acceptable for Bell to offer the lower featured, lower priced service which passes the imputation test.
7. It is therefore ordered that TN 5967, as modified by TN 5967A, be given final approval.
Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General
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