Although today’s press release said that the Cabinet Order will be published in the Canada Gazette at the end of November, thanks to e-Government, we could actually see Order-in-Council PC2006-1314 this afternoon.
The Order runs for a number of pages [and I’ll have more tomorrow]. It boils down to:
in relation to retail local access-independent VoIP services … provided by ILECs within their … territories, the [CRTC] refrain from exercising its powers and … duties … to the same extent that it does in relation to … CLECs in Telecom Decision CRTC 97‑8 … and subsequent determinations.
Interestingly then, the CRTC has been directed to treat access-independent VoIP regulation for ILECs the same way it regulates CLECs, in accordance with Decision 97-8. While this provides pricing deregulation, the order appears to reaffirm the CLEC obligations on all over-the-top VoIP providers.
Decision 97-8 requires all service providers to offer equal access, number portability, 911, Message Relay Services, and a number of consumer protections including privacy issues and disclosure.
More tomorrow.
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CRTC, Cabinet, VoIP, Mark Goldberg