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Primus Canada Supports Outcome of CRTC decision strikes a fair balance and facilitates
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TORONTO, ON, MARCH 6, 2008 - Following a detailed review of the CRTC’s Telecom Decision 2008-17, Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. (Primus Canada) today announced its support of the Commission’s decision in the Essential Services proceeding. The year-long process that included extensive hearings which ended on December 7, 2007, involved proposals from the incumbent telephone companies to scale back radically the scope of services that they are mandated to sell to competitors. The established incumbent telephone companies argued that the Commission should rely on industry negotiations to set prices for the wholesale services under their control. Primus Canada is pleased that the Commission supported the need to continue its incremental approach to network development in Canada. In doing so, the Commission recognized that while many components of telecommunications networks can, given the appropriate circumstances, be built by competitors, the access networks, or the “last mile” into the consumer’s home, of the incumbent telephone and cable companies can never or economically be duplicated by competitors. In its ruling, the Commission established a new, clear definition of essential facilities and created six categories of incumbent wholesale services, including associated pricing rules and phase out provisions that together set an appropriate playing field for non-incumbent service providers in Canada. “The decision by the CRTC reflects the essence of Primus Canada’s position to put consumers and competition first,” said Ted Chislett, President and Chief Operating Officer, Primus Canada. “By balancing the reliance on market forces against the inherent impediments to competition, the CRTC’s decision will allow competition to continue and, in the end, customers will benefit from new services and better value.” Primus Canada believes that the greatest challenge to telecom competition is the plan to remove regulatory oversight from most Competitor Digital Network Services. The Commission established three and five-year transition periods for high capacity access and transport services based on its findings that there is, or will be, a sufficient number of alternatives available from companies competing with the incumbent telephone companies. Primus Canada believes this is an unrealistically short time in the telecom world within which to build such infrastructure. Primus Canada will continue to be an active participant in the ongoing dialog with the CRTC as the new regulatory regime is applied to existing and future incumbent wholesale services. About PRIMUS Canada |
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For more information, please contact: |
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Jeannie Tsang Media Profile 416-342-1815 jeannie@mediaprofile.com Ted Chislett PRIMUS Canada 416-207-7011 tchislett@primustel.ca |
