By Ahmad Hathout
Quebecor is asking the CRTC to align the access rates to large last mile fibre networks for both disaggregated and aggregated regimes.
Last month, the regulator approved on an interim basis and within six months competitor access to the fibre of Bell and Telus that goes directly to buildings in Ontario and Quebec under the aggregated regime, which allows competitors to bundle from the large telco the traffic transport mile with the last mile. The decision is being appealed to the Federal Court by Bell, which is disproportionately affected by it.
In a Part 1 published Monday, the parent company of Videotron said there is a disconnect between the rates for competitor access to both regimes, with the disaggregated regime being nearly twice the cost for certain internet speed packages than on the aggregated regime, according to Quebecor, citing aggregated rates filed by Bell.
The disaggregated regime, which correspondingly separates the middle and last mile, is still operational in parts of the aforementioned provinces, though the commission said that regime cannot exist on its own to drive competition.
But because the Bell appeal is outstanding, Quebecor said that leave competitors stranded with the higher rates under the disaggregated regime, which it said has been interim for more than six years and are all “excessively high.”
Quebecor is claiming this is contrary to telecom policy, including the commission’s duty to “render reliable and affordable telecommunications services,” enhance competitiveness, and foster reliance on market forces.
“Given Bell’s legal attempt to avoid its regulatory obligation to provide functional wholesale access to its FTTP networks in aggregated mode in Ontario and Quebec, and since access to Bell’s FTTP in aggregated mode will not be available for at least six months – which remains a very optimistic objective considering the use of legal proceedings and Bell’s history of using delaying tactics to evade its regulatory obligations – we ask the Commission to expeditiously approve new Interim Disaggregated FTTP Access Rates for Bell that are at least equivalent as the Bell’s Interim Aggregated FTTP Access Rates approved in Decision 2023-358,” Quebecor said, referencing the last mile fibre decision.
Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau has repeatedly said that access rates to last mile fibre is crucial to the success of competitors like itself.
