The CRTC should think twice about assigning N11 codes to charities

The fate of the few remaining N11 numbers is generating a lot of interest and controversy in Canada. The CRTC is in the midst of studying what it should do with its unassigned 211, 311, 811 and 511 codes. An application headed by the United Way wants 211 used as a referral service for various social and health questions. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind also wants its own three-digit code. A Jan. 4 intervention filed by T-Base Communications Inc of Ottawa, and supported by the Canadian Council of the Blind among others, says N11 numbers should be exclusively assigned to governments. Who manages those N11 systems would be left to a competitive tendering process. T-Base’s president/CEO Sharlyn Ayottee presented this argument in her group’s intervention to PN 2000-151. An edited excerpt appears below. The full text of the intervention can be found here. (T-Base provides on-demand information publishing in Braille, large print, audio-cassette and computer disk.) The idea that government would consider applications from charitable organizations for the distribution of public information for a segment of the populace negates the notion of equal access for all. To suggest a bifurcation in the delivery of what, until now, has been regarded as a basic right of citizenship is tantamount to supporting a two-tier democracy: access via government institutions is there for regular Canadians, but for people with disabilities, access will be through the munificence of charity. This reinforces the concept that people with disabilities are not able to function within the mainstream and must therefore be taken care of separately. Permitting this type of ser-vice delivery approach, is simply supporting an outdated mode of custodianship. Several additional factors must be considered in developing a policy framework for the allocation of the remaining abbreviated 3-digit telephone numbers. The Government of Canada has invested millions of dollars to develop an information portal which is accessible to Canadians by telephone. This information channel, 1-800-O Canada or (1-800 622-6232), provides the public with access to information available from the government, as well as providing a referral ser-vice to provincial and territorial governments. In addition, provincial/territorial access telecentres provide referrals to community-based services which identify specific resources. Why not enhance and fully utilize these mainstream channels as opposed to duplicating services? Another consideration is that any use of 3-digit numbers must take into account potential future requirements and developments. Only a few 3-digit numbers exist, and some unforeseen need may yet arise, such as emergency weather bulletins or important public notices. It is inappropriate for governments to offload the delivery of an essential information ser-vice (guaranteed through the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act) to charities. Essential information services must be included as part of the Government Strategic Planning for Infrastructure Programs. The allocation of a 3-digit dialing code to a charity would give them a quasi-regulatory authority. If a 3-digit calling code is to be devoted to the provision of such services, it should be undertaken by the government and tendered to private sector organizations acting merely as windows to government ser-vices, to ensure that the solution is not only appropriate to meet the diverse requirements of Canadians but to ensure compatibility and accessibility to contemporary information systems. No compelling reason has been included in the proposals to justify the introduction of the proposed 3-digit number service. If the allocation of an abbreviated calling code is deemed necessary for the provision of information, it should clearly be administered by the Government of Canada. This would ensure full accountability and regulatory authority over the outsourcing of these services to whichever organizations deemed appropriate.

The CRTC should think twice about assigning N11 codes to charities

News | January 15, 2001

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