ARCHIVED - Letter

This page has been archived on the Web

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. Archived Decisions, Notices and Orders (DNOs) remain in effect except to the extent they are amended or reversed by the Commission, a court, or the government. The text of archived information has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Changes to DNOs are published as “dashes” to the original DNO number. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats by contacting us.

Ottawa, 29 August 2011

Our reference:  8661-S93-201109885

Mr. Dallas Yeulett
Senior Manager, Regulatory Compliance
Northwestel Inc.
P.O. Box 2727
301 Lambert Street
Whitehorse, Yukon  Y1A 4Y4
Regulatoryaffairs@nwtel.ca

Re:  Part 1 application regarding Northwestel backbone connectivity services

Dear Mr. Yeulett:

On 23 June 2011, SSi Micro Ltd. (SSi Micro) filed a Part 1 application regarding the rates charged by Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) for backbone connectivity services.

Commission staff considers that additional information is required in order for the Commission to make a determination in the matters raised by SSi Micro. Therefore, Northwestel is to respond to the attached interrogatories by 9 September 2011.

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by

Mario Bertrand
Director, Competition Implementation and Technology
Telecommunications

Attached distribution list
interrogatories

Distribution List

c.c.:  ollerhead@ssimicro.com; wolfe@ssimicro.com; rode@ssimicro.com; sashton@ssimicro.com; ondrack@ssimicro.com; mwood@ssimicro.com; mphilipp@ssimicro.com; garybl@ssimicro.com; lcallow@northwestel.net; flecks2004@ssimicro.com; jan@tundraltd.com; pmckeon@ssimicro.com; xferrier@ssimicro.com; zora@topoftheworldtravel.com; dale@tamarack.nt.ca; katemaygilbert@gmail.com; pbaldwin@ssimicro.com; loosewheel@ssimicro.com; simon@ssimicro.com; yknapa@ssimicro.com; marian@ssimicro.com; eastarm@ssimicro.com; boomer007@ssimicro.com; rutzputz@ssimicro.com; nonoyk@ssimicro.com; andrew.robinson.73@gmail.com; pkien@ssimicro.com; aleta_boris@yahoo.ca; The.Roeschs@northwestel.net; lauriel@arcticdata.ca; dmcniven@ssimicro.com; darcyfia@ssimicro.com; sdelf@theedge.ca; linda_maljan@gov.nt.ca; pbisaillon22@gmail.com; grey186@theedge.ca; gvantighem@yellowknife.ca; jeanfre_savage@ssimicro.com; fraser.g.maclean@gmail.com; bkstevens@ssimicro.com; MFORSEY@DAL.CA; williami@ssimicro.com; kanada_00@hotmail.com; eriks@ssimicro.com; lisa.badenhorst@gov.yk.ca; yakatme99@msn.com; michel@ssimicro.com; rrondeau@northwestel.net; regulatory@ssimicro.com

Attachment

Interrogatories to Northwestel

1. Northwestel described its I-Gate service as an access, transport, and Internet transit service specifically designed for ISPs and other organizations that require large-bandwidth Internet for resale and internal use.

a. Identify all I-Gate services currently provided by Northwestel. For each service provisioned, provide all relevant information including, but not limited to, pricing, access speed, throughput, and locations served; and

b. Provide details of any I-Gate service proposal to SSi Micro.

2. Northwestel submitted that its V-Connect service is a managed packet data service that would be forborne under Telecom Order 97-572. SSi Micro, in its reply, argued that V-Connect is not a forborne service.

In Telecom Order 97-572, the Commission required Northwestel, for all future packet data services, to file a block diagram showing all types of plant resources employed and indicating whether such resources are discrete or shared, together with a description of the general types of applications that may be handled by the service, in order to demonstrate that the service meets the conditions of forbearance.

Further, in that order, the Commission noted Northwestel’s argument that customers in its territory were sufficiently protected, as its rates for the data services for which it was seeking forbearance were a “mirror image” of rates employed by large incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs). The Commission noted in the order that its determination to forbear was not based on a finding that competition sufficient to protect the interests of end-users was present or likely to be present in Northwestel’s territory. Rather, the Commission granted forbearance on the basis of its expectation that rates for the data services in question would continue to be a “mirror image” of rates charged by large ILECs.

a. Provide a block diagram and a service description for the V-Connect service, as required by Telecom Order 97-572;
b. Identify all V-Connect services currently provided by Northwestel. For each service provisioned, provide all relevant information including, but not limited to, pricing, access speed, class of service offered, throughput, and locations served;
c. Provide details of any V-Connect service proposals to SSi Micro; and
d. Discuss whether Northwestel’s rates for its V-Connect service would qualify as the “mirror image” of rates for similar services offered by large Canadian ILECs, as contemplated in Telecom Order 97-572.

3. Indicate whether Northwestel currently offers a DS-3 or OC-3 interexchange private line (IXPL) service from Yellowknife to Edmonton pursuant to its tariff. If neither service is currently available, identify the time frame required to introduce such a service upon request.

Date modified: