CRTC orders Bell to sign agreement with CloudWifi

The CRTC has ordered BCE Inc. to sign an agreement that would allow CloudWifi Inc. to progress its application to become a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), finding Bell’s continued refusal to do so is “unnecessarily hindering competition and consumer choice.” CloudWifi applied to become a registered CLEC in August 2018, but lodged an application with the regulator in March 2019, claiming Bell was refusing to sign a Special Master Agreement for Local Interconnection (MALI) necessary to progress its CLEC application. The CRTC denied CloudWifi’s application to complete its CLEC registration without a signed Special MALI, instead directing Bell to sign the agreement and lodge it with the regulator by April 27. In its decision, the CRTC stated Bell’s refusal to sign the agreement was “primarily based on concerns” around CloudWifi’s use of Bell’s in-building wire in multi-dwelling units (MDUs), which has been the subject of multiple long-running disputes between the parties. The CRTC ruled in December 2019 that CloudWifi’s existing use of Bell’s in-building wire would be allowed to continue while it consulted on an appropriate tariff for its usage, banning any new unauthorized in-building wire connections from taking place until the rates had been set. The regulator had initially ruled in June 2019 that connection to in-building wire could occur until an “appropriate” rate had been set through the consultation process. But in ordering Bell to sign the Special MALI, the CRTC said Bell’s concerns around in-building wire had been “addressed, in large part” and would be further examined in its upcoming consultation. “CLEC status will not necessarily provide Cloudwifi with access to additional Bell Canada in-building fibre at other MDUs, since an approved tariff is still required for Cloudwifi to connect to such fibre,” the CRTC said in its decision posted to its website on Thursday. “Accordingly, the Commission is of the view that the signing of the proposed Special MALI should in no way disrupt the status quo for either Bell Canada or Cloudwifi in this regard.” The CRTC also dismissed an application by Bell that CloudWifi’s CLEC status should be subject to the company agreeing to a “no fibre condition” that would prevent it from any new connection to Bell’s in-building fibre, as well as a condition that would see CloudWifi’s CLEC status revoked if it failed to provide local exchange telecommunications services to the public for 90 consecutive days in the regions it proposed to provide voice services.

CRTC orders Bell to sign agreement with CloudWifi

Brief | March 26, 2020

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CRTC orders Bell to sign agreement with CloudWifi

Brief | March 26, 2020

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