GATINEAU – Talking about utility poles and other such infrastructure might sound awfully boring, but when it comes to the potential barriers to the delivery of advanced communications – especially in hard-to-serve regions – clear policies for access to such infrastructure is crucial.
This week the CRTC issued a call for comments “regarding potential barriers to the deployment of broadband-capable networks in underserved areas in Canada” and this proceeding will be an important one for all operators, especially those serving areas where they count poles needed per customer, instead of households served per pole.
Basically, rolling broadband out down certain county roads may be unaffordable if a service provider is facing large increases in pole rental fees from the hydro company when it might take dozens of poles to run fibre to the few homes and businesses on those lonely roads.
“The Commission invites interested persons to identify potential barriers and/or regulatory solutions to building new facilities or interconnecting to existing facilities in order to extend broadband-capable networks more efficiently into underserved areas in Canada and give all Canadians access to high-quality voice services and broadband Internet access services,” reads the call for comments.
“Under the Telecommunications Act, the Commission has the authority to regulate access to support structures (such as poles and conduits) owned by a Canadian carrier… The Commission’s authority does not include regulating access to support structures owned by third parties that are not also Canadian carriers, such as provincially regulated utilities, nor does it extend to transmission lines situated on private land,” reads the call.
“An incumbent Canadian carrier that owns poles and conduits is required, on request and where spare capacity is available, to offer competitive access to these poles and conduits pursuant to a Commission-approved tariff. At present, the Commission has approved rates, terms, and conditions for access to the poles and conduits owned by large and certain small incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs). The last review of these services took place almost a decade ago.”
The proceeding is also going to examine wholesale transport services, too, which it has long forborne from regulating.
The deadline for submissions is January 24th.
