New one is coming, though
GATINEAU – On October 11, 2019, Videotron filed an application to the CRTC to decommission its fastest Internet service, saying it would cease offering its Giga-Service to its retail as well as wholesale customers.
In a bit of a twist, the CRTC wrote back to Videotron noting mistakes in the application meant it could not accept it – and so it returned it to the company.
First, Videotron had indicated it wished to cease offering the Giga Service starting immediately but Commission staff told the company that such service eliminiation has to be “filed at least 60 calendar days prior to the proposed effective date of the destandardization/withdrawal of the service.”
Furthermore, Commission staff indicated that Videotron wanted to withdrawal the service but would continue providing it to existing customers. Since the tariff would then still be used to grandfather in existing customers, the Commission said that would be a destandardization instead of a withdrawal, which isn’t allowed.
“In light of the above, Commission staff is returning TN 57 and considers it closed,” the letter reads.
“Québecor may file a new TN regarding its proposed withdrawal or destandardization of Vidéotron’s TPIA Giga Service, correcting or clarifying the inconsistencies, with appropriate new notification to Vidéotron’s customers. Vidéotron is reminded that, until such time as the Commission renders a decision regarding the withdrawal or destandardization of the TPIA Giga Service, Vidéotron’s TPIA tariff remains unchanged and the service must be provided in accordance with the rates, terms and conditions laid out therein,” the CRTC letter ends.
In an email to Cartt.ca, a Videotron spokesperson told us: “In light of the Commission’s letter, we are reactivating TPIA access to our Gigabit service in order to permit an orderly wind-down of our resellers’ marketing activities. We will be submitting a new application for destandardization of our Gigabit TPIA service as soon as possible.”
