Scope of CRTC’s UBB review limited to ‘billing practices’

The CRTC said Friday it is not expanding the scope of its review of its usage-based billing policy. But the commission added it is prepared to look at billing practices related to two key principles and that it will not limit the review to usage-based billing. “In reviewing the billing practices for mandated wholesale residential high-speed access services in this proceeding, the Commission is inviting comments on proposals for billing practices that implement these two principles, and is not limited to examining only usage-based billing,” the CRTC said in a letter to parties participating in the proceeding. The two guiding principles for the review, the CRTC said, are that “ordinary consumers served by small Internet service providers (Small ISPs) should not have to fund the bandwidth used by the heaviest retail Internet service consumers”; and that “it is in the best interest of consumers that Small ISPs, which offer competitive alternatives to the incumbent carriers, should continue to do so.” On Feb. 3 the CRTC initiated a review of its usage-based billing policy in response to a public outcry and requests from Bell Canada and Industry Minster Tony Clement. The policy would allow incumbent telcos to impose monthly bandwidth caps on their wholesale customers, or small ISPs that resell Internet services. Several small ISPs and public interest groups had called for an expanded proceeding that included a comprehensive review of the regulatory framework governing the incumbents’ sale of wholesale Internet services to small competitors. “The CRTC will not be expanding the scope, as requested by several parties, to include the billing practices for retail Internet services. There is no evidence that market forces are not working properly in this unregulated market,” the commission added in a release Friday. The CRTC said its policy on wholesale high-speed Internet access is not under review and that “it would not be appropriate” to make it so “wide-ranging.” A public hearing for the review is scheduled to start July 11 in Gatineau.

Scope of CRTC’s UBB review limited to ‘billing practices’

Brief | March 11, 2011

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Scope of CRTC’s UBB review limited to ‘billing practices’

Brief | March 11, 2011

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