CRTC Sets Timeline for Throttling Case

Michael Geist

“The CRTC this morning issued its promised plan for addressing the substantive issues raised by the CAIP complaint over Bell’s throttling practices.  The plan has an aggressive timeline with all submissions in by June 26th and a decision promised within 90 days.   Bell and CAIP have been asked to respond to a series of questions, with the CRTC giving Bell two weeks to provide much more detail on its network congestion claims and its network management practices.  Interested parties - ie. the public and other businesses - will have the chance to file comments by June 12, 2008.  Combined with the new media discussion document slated to be released later today, CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein wasn’t kidding when he told an industry conference in a speech earlier this month that the throttling issue “will have wide-ranging consequences and will lead to a much wider debate. This will undoubtedly occupy much of our time this year.”