Bell Aliant submitted a Deferral Account implementation package on 15 Jan 10 as requested by the CRTC on 25 Sep 09. It was published on the CRTC website on 20 Jan 10 and a copy is attached. Bell Aliant is proposing to serve the designated Deferral Account area by means of it High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology. This wireless based broadband (high speed Internet) service will make use of the Bell cellular infrastructure but will be a separate service offering with its own tariff. Known as Retail Wireless Broadband Service, Bell Aliant is asking the CRTC for approval of the following rate structure:
Monthly Rate - $31.95
Download Speed - Up to 2Mbps
Upload Speed - Up to 800Kbps
Monthly Usage Allowance - 2 Gigabytes (GB)
Charge for Additional Usage - $2.50/GB
One-Time Activation Fee - $35
Hardware - No charge
Term – Monthly
Included Services
5 e-mail addresses
Web-based mail
Connection Manager software
Basic Security services
Online storage (5MB)
The service will be billed one month in advance with a 30-day cancellation notice period.
This rate structure will only apply to the Deferral Account home area of the user. Access outside the users’ home area will be billed at the normal Bell tariff rates.
Unlike the other carriers’ submission, the Bell Aliant submission did not include a detailed implementation schedule. Bell Aliant indicated they would provide the detailed schedule on 26 Feb 10. Their reasoning was they needed CRTC approval of the tariff before setting the schedule.
While a bit of surprise, a cursory review indicates that the proposal meets all the prerequisites of the CRTC Deferral Account decision. The greatest advantage is that it can be activated in many areas quickly after CRTC approval. Doubtlessly some Deferral Account areas will require the construction of additional access points but this should be made clear in the 28 Feb 10 submission.
