Evidence of meeting #56 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bell.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:30 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Bell Canada
You mean the number of subscribers we have?
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
You mentioned that you know the number of customers of all the independent ISPs. Is that demanded even from private corporations? Do you demand that before you sell them the service?
5:30 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Bell Canada
That's confidential information. We are their supplier and they are our valued customer. On aggregate, we know what the number is, but we couldn't say, for example, that Mr. Sandiford has x number of customers. That's his information and it's confidential. We know it because of our relationship.
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
You would be able to tell from the blues that you said you knew exactly how many customers they have.
5:35 p.m.
Jonathan Daniels Vice-President, Law and Regulatory Affairs, Bell Canada
We actually have to install. If the customer wants to sign up with us, someone like TekSavvy or one of the ISPs would have to call and tell us who the individual end-user is, and we would have to go and install the line. That's why we know exactly where the locations are. It's our wholesale side that knows it, and they never share it with our retail.
5:35 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Regulatory Affairs, Shaw Communications Inc.
It's the same for Shaw.
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
You said that Bell Fibe TV was totally separate, but in your explanation you said that you actually use the same off-ramp that you do for Internet service and then it goes to your office. So it's really not a separate cable. It's separate once it gets to your office, but it's the same Internet off-ramp that goes to every residence. Is that correct?
5:35 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Bell Canada
There is a copper loop that goes from our central office to the home and all data travels on that pipe: Internet traffic, television traffic, voice traffic, long-distance traffic. But there are no congestion issues there. The real issue is when you get to the central office and go behind it into the Internet. Fibe TV is completely different.
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
I'm just trying to clarify your comments. It is the same cable telephonically. Internet and everything is on the same cable that goes to your main office. Is that correct?
5:35 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Bell Canada
From the home to the main office, that is correct. You might have heard the term “the last mile”.
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Thank you.
I thank the witnesses very much.
We have one more small piece of business before we adjourn the committee. There was a question raised by Mr. Masse regarding possible privilege. I have taken a look at the blues from the in-camera meeting, which were held securely by the clerk in his office. I've taken a look at the blues of the regular meeting that we had in public.
In my opinion, the question raised by Mr. Lake does not relate to privilege. The conversation that took place, that you were referring to, was regarding whether to call witnesses or not. The conversation happened in camera and out of camera. It happened in two separate cases out of camera. It may be a question of fierce debate, but it is not a question of privilege.
The meeting is adjourned.