Long distance fees going up for many Bell customers

Bell Canada is once again making it more expensive for customers who don't sign up for a long distance plan. Following on the heals of a $1.25 monthly access fee, customers who don't subscribe to a LD calling plan will also see their rates increase by as much as $0.09 per minute. While the company says on its website that some rates will also decrease, an analysis done by Network Letter reveals that in the vast majority of cases, basic LD rates will go up Rates for calls to many locations in northern Ontario and Quebec and the northern territories as well as Alaska and Hawaii will remain unchanged. Jason Lazslo, a spokesperson for Bell, says a review of the company's long distance pricing hadn't been done since 2002. " ensuring as a company we're able to remain competitive," he tells NL. "But at the same time it's important to draw attention that the long distance plans themselves aren't changing and those rates are by far and away the most competitive way to make long distance calls." The new rates will see a decrease in the off-peak calling discount from 60% to 50%, but the basic toll rates will also drop. The rate changes apply to Bell's three LD categories: Ontario and Quebec, Across Canada and United States (which includes most other out of country calls). Currently, the basic rate for a LD call in the Ontario and Quebec region of less than 10 miles (about 16 kilometres) is $0.13 per minutes during peak hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. The off-peak calling rate - 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday to Friday and all weekend regardless of time - will decrease by 60% or to $0.05 per minute. New rates for this same call will see the basic peak-time fee drop to $0.10 per minute with the off-peak being $0.05 per minute. Equally, there isn't a change in the per-minute rate for off-peaking calling for the shortest distance in the Across Canada category. But apart from these two cases, all other distances and categories will experience rate increases. Below is a table comparing current peak and off-peaking rates with new ones coming into effective on Monday. LD access fee being introducedThe country's largest incumbent telco has also introduced a fee of $1.25 to be charged to customers who don't subscribe to a Bell LD plan, but make long distance calls. The Long Distance Network Connection fee, as it's been dubbed, will be applied to the first long distance call made each month. The surcharge won't be added to the customer's monthly bill if there aren't any LD calls made that month. Bell charges subscribers to any of its LD plans a monthly network charge of $5.95. The LD access fee has sparked considerable controversy lately as Telus Corp. introduced a $2.95 surcharge in November 2007 for customers who don't subscribe to a Telus LD plan. Yak Communications Inc. and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre have both appealed Telus' LD access fee to the CRTC. Bell Canada's LD rate comparisonOntario and Quebec Old Peak ratesNew Peak RatesOld Off-Peak RatesNew Off-Peak Rates0 to 10 (miles)$0.13$0.10$0.05$0.0511 to 22$0.22$0.22$0.08$0.1123 to 40$0.29$0.32$0.12$0.1641 to 80$0.38$0.42$0.15$0.2181+$0.43$0.48$0.17$0.24Across Canada Old Peak ratesNew Peak RatesOld Off-Peak RatesNew Off-Peak Rates0 to 20(miles)$0.14$0.12$0.06$0.0621 to 56$0.28$0.24$0.11$0.1257 to 400$0.42$0.40$0.17$0.20401 to 680$0.49$0.54$0.20$0.27681+$0.53$0.58$0.21$0.29United States Old Peak ratesNew Peak RatesOld Off-Peak RatesNew Off-Peak Rates0 to 1 (miles)$0.18$0.16$0.07$0.0819 to 50$0.32$0.30$0.13$0.1551 to 180$0.43$0.48$0.17$0.24181-345$0.54$0.60$0.22$0.30346 to 1200$0.59$0.66$0.24$0.331200+$0.63$0.68$0.25$0.34

Long distance fees going up for many Bell customers

News | 01/17/2008 8:30 pm EST

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