Search

Telecom Order CRTC 2025-311

PDF version

Reference: 2025-124

Gatineau, 20 November 2025

Public record: Tariff Notice 425

NorthernTel, Limited Partnership – Withdrawal of several residential services with no current subscribers

Summary

The Commission received an application from NorthernTel, Limited Partnership (NorthernTel) proposing to withdraw several residential telecommunications services.

The services proposed for withdrawal have no current residential subscribers, no future demand is anticipated, and modern alternatives for these services are available. Withdrawing these services will support the modernization of telecommunications service offerings. The Commission therefore approves NorthernTel’s application on a final basis.

Application

  1. On 14 April 2025, the Commission received an application from NorthernTel, Limited Partnership (NorthernTel) proposing to withdraw several legacy residential telecommunications services from its General Tariff.
  2. Specifically, the company proposed to withdraw the following items:
    • Section N140 – Directory Listings (including Foreign Extra Listings – residence and Foreign Extra Listings – Toronto/Montreal – residence, and Zenith Extra Listing and Zenith Initial);
    • Section N310 – Foreign-exchange Service (residence only);
    • Section N490 – Miscellaneous Services (including Random Make Busy Feature – residence, Volume Control Telephone Equipment, Noisy Location Telephone Equipment, Custom Calling Feature Packages 1 and 2 – residence only, and Intercommunication Feature bundled with Custom Calling Feature Packages 1 and 2 – residence only);
    • Section N690 – Interexchange Distance Charges (residence only);
    • Section N890 – Lease of Channels (residence only);
    • Section N900.3 – Switched 56 Data Service (residence only); and
    • Section N910 – Arrangements for Data Transmission (residence only).
  3. NorthernTel submitted that the services proposed for withdrawal either provided functionality that can now be obtained elsewhere or have been rendered obsolete by technological developments. There are no current residential subscriptions and no future demand is anticipated.
  4. NorthernTel highlighted that there are more effective and less expensive alternatives which are generally available for the functionality provided by the services proposed for withdrawal. NorthernTel submitted that the channels and other data services proposed for withdrawal have been replaced by much higher-speed Internet Protocol (IP)-based services such as digital subscriber line and fibre-to-the-home retail Internet services. NorthernTel also noted that current options for volume-control and noisy-location telephone sets are available from retailers, and that voice communications could be replaced by text-based services such as messaging and short-message-service wireless services.
  5. NorthernTel requested an effective date of 13 June 2025.
  6. The Commission did not receive any interventions with regard to the application.

Commission’s analysis

  1. In compliance with the procedure set out in Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-455-1, NorthernTel provided the Commission with (i) a description of the service proposed to be withdrawn, (ii) the proposed withdrawal date, (iii) the rationale for the withdrawal, and (iv) the number of customers affected.
  2. NorthernTel has confirmed that there are no residential customers subscribed to these services, and that it does not anticipate any future demand. Moreover, maintaining legacy services that have no remaining demand can result in ongoing administrative and compliance efforts that offer limited public benefit.
  3. Withdrawal of a service that is no longer in use or for which there is no foreseeable demand supports the modernization of telecommunications service offerings and is consistent with previous Commission decisions. See for example Telecom Orders 2020-166 and 2022-277.
  4. The Commission considers that there are modern alternatives for the services identified for withdrawal, such as high-speed IP-based solutions, toll-free long-distance services, and features like call forwarding.

Conclusion

  1. In light of all of the above, the Commission approves, on a final basis, NorthernTel’s application.
  2. Revised tariff pages are to be issued within 10 calendar days of the date of this order. Revised tariff pages can be submitted to the Commission without a description page or a request for approval; a tariff application is not required.

Secretary General

Related documents

Date modified: