Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to the Distribution list

Gatineau, 15 May 2026

Reference: 8640-B2-202506329

BY EMAIL

Distribution list

Subject: Bell Canada – Part 1 Application for forbearance from the regulation of residential local exchange services in Manitoba – Request for information

Commission staff is presently considering the above-mentioned Part 1 application dated 22 December 2025. To help develop a fulsome record and assist the Commission in its assessment of the application, parties are asked to respond to the questions included in the appendix to this letter no later than 29 May 2026.

Appendix 1 sets out questions for Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Rogers)

Appendix 2 sets out questions for Westman Media Cooperative Ltd. (Westman)

Bell Canada (Bell) will then have an opportunity to file a reply by 5 June 2026.

Registration Status of Valley Fiber

Commission staff notes that Bell named Vally Fiber as a facilities-based competitor in Bell’s application for forbearance of residential local exchanges services in Manitoba. However, on 14 May 2026, the Commission published Telecom Order 2026-89. In this Order, the Commission indicated that, as Valley Fiber has not received Commission approval to operate as a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) and was no longer a proposed CLEC, it could not be considered a facilities-based wireline competitor for the purpose of the competitor presence test. Therefore, this letter does not set out questions for Valley Fiber.

Confidential information

As set out in section 39 of the Telecommunications Act and in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, Procedures for filing and requesting disclosure of confidential information in Commission proceedings, parties may designate certain information as confidential. A detailed explanation of why the information is being designated as confidential and why its disclosure would not be in the public interest must be provided, including the reasons why the specific direct harm likely to result from disclosure would outweigh the public interest in disclosure. In addition to the confidential version, an abridged version of the document removing only the confidential information must be filed, or the reasons why an abridged version cannot be filed must be provided.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Suneil Kanjeekal
Director, Dispute resolution and regulatory implementation
Telecommunications sector

c.c.:   Bell, bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Telus Communications Inc., regulatory.affairs@telus.com
First Mile Connectivity Consortium, info@firstmile.ca
Valley Fiber Ltd, corporateaffairs@valleyfiber.ca
Jeff Blixhavn, jeffblixhavn@gmail.com
Doris Hofer, eastcoldwellranch@hotmail.com
Marc Nanni, mn_crtc@proton.me

Distribution List

Rogers, regulatory@rci.rogers.com
Westman, eastonc@westmancom.com

APPENDIX 1

Questions for Rogers

1. You have been named as a facilities-based competitor in Bell’s application for forbearance of residential local exchanges services in Manitoba.
   1. For each of the exchanges listed in the table below, please indicate whether you are offering residential wireline local exchange services, either as Rogers or any of its subsidiaries.
   2. If you are, please indicate the percentage of households that you are capable of serving in the exchange.

APPENDIX 2

Questions for Westman

2. You have been named as a facilities-based competitor in Bell’s application for forbearance of residential local exchanges services in Manitoba.
   1. For each of the exchanges listed in the table below, please indicate whether you are offering residential wireline local exchange services.
   2. If you are, please indicate the percentage of households that you are capable of serving in the exchange.

Date modified:

2026-05-15