Letter

Ottawa, 20 October 2006

File No.: 8638-C12-200615586

BY E-MAIL

Ms. Cathy Moore
National Director, Consumer and Government Relations
CNIB
135-1101 Prince of Wales Dr .
Ottawa , Ontario
K2C 3W7

cathy.moore@cnib.ca

Re:   Follow-up to Disposition of funds in the deferral accounts , Telecom Decision CRTC 2006-9 - broadband expansion and accessibility proposals

The Commission is in receipt of a submission from CNIB dated 1 September 2006 proposing a broad range of initiatives, including the establishment of a National Telecommunications Accessibility Institute that would be funded by incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), pro-rated as a percentage of the deferral account funds each ILEC must spend.   CNIB proposed that funds would be transferred to the institute as a single transfer and used as an endowment to fund the activities of the institute, including research and development grants awarded by the institute.  

In Disposition of funds in the deferral accounts , Telecom Decision CRTC 2006-9, 16 February 2006 (Decision 2006-9), the Commission determined that initiatives to 1) expand broadband services to rural and remote communities and 2) improve accessibility to telecommunications services for persons with disabilities, were appropriate uses of funds in the deferral accounts.   At paragraph 262 of Decision 2006-9, the Commission directed each ILEC to file, by 30 June 2006 , its initiatives to dispose of the funds accumulated in its deferral account (the directives).   At paragraph 50 of Decision 2006-9, the Commission also determined that draw-downs from each ILEC's deferral account must be applied within its own territory.

In a letter dated 22 June 2006 , the Commission modified the deadline set out in Decision 2006-9 for the filing of the ILECs' initiatives from 30 June 2006 to 1 September 2006.

Commission staff notes that, under the directives, only the ILECs were invited to file initiatives.   CNIB's submission is not consistent with the directives in that it was not submitted by an ILEC and proposes to use the funds in the deferral accounts on a national basis.   For this reason, Commission staff is returning CNIB's submission dated 1 September 2006 .

However, Commission staff also notes that Decision 2006-9 indicates that further process would be determined once the proposals were filed.   CNIB is encouraged to submit its comments and raise any concerns it may have regarding the proposals submitted by the ILECs in accordance with that process after it is announced.

Commission staff further notes that, to the extent that CNIB's proposal is beyond the scope of this proceeding or the uses to which the funds in the deferral account may be put pursuant to Decision 2006-9, CNIB would also have the opportunity to make submissions in the context of the proceeding identified in the Commission's 3-year work plan to address unresolved accessibility issues for persons with disabilities, currently planned to commence in fiscal year 2007-2008.

Sincerely,

'Original signed by S. Bédard '

Suzanne Bédard
Senior Manager, Tariffs
Telecommunications

cc.:   Gerry Lylyk, CRTC, (819) 953-0434
         Michel Murray, CRTC, (819) 997-9300
         Renée Gauthier, CRTC, (819) 994-5174
         Interested parties to Public Notice 2004-1
         CAD, info@cad.ca

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