NL Short Takes

Alberta given 811 number for non-urgent health triageThe CRTC has approved an application by Alberta Health and Wellness to use the 811 number for a non-urgent health care triage phone line (Telecom Decision 2005-39). Many of the phone companies currently use the 811 number for customer service. MTS Allstream said it could stop using the number within 30 days notice of a similar service being established, and Bell Mobility and TELUS stated they needed six months from the date of the CRTC decision. TBayTel indicated it could vacate the number in the fourth quarter of 2005, Northwestel Inc. by mid-2006, Aliant by the end of 2006, and SaskTel within 18-24 months of the decision. "The commission notes that the requested time frames to vacate the 811 resource vary from 30 days to approximately two years, with the average in the range of six to nine months," notes the CRTC in its decision. "The commission considers that waiting for the (phone) directories to be updated and placing an intercept on 811, justify the longer requested time frames." In granting the number to the provincial health ministry, the regulator ordered Bell Mobility, MTS Allstream, TBayTel, and TELUS to vacate the 811 resource by the end of 2005, Northwestel by June 30, 2006, and Aliant Telecom and SaskTel by the end of 2006. The commission also stated that there was merit in linking 811 and the emergency 911 services. "Therefore, where an 811 service provider wants to link the two services, the service providers and the affected telecommunications service providers (TSPs) should negotiate an equitable solution," states the CRTC. The regulator also said that implementing 811 service requires similar steps to those of 311 – a number that was granted for municipal information lines. Each province or territory wishing to implement an 811 service must provide a minimum of six months notice to the TSPs operating within the area. The regulator also directed TSPs to "assume, on an incremental basis, the costs of the basic switch modifications and network changes necessary for the implementation of 811 service. The teletriage service providers requesting special routing arrangements should bear the cost of provisioning such arrangements." The cost recovery for supporting 811 services cannot be charged as a component on carrier’s bills. Alberta Health and Wellness submitted an application for the 811 number earlier this year, after failing to get the 311 number (NL, Feb. 2/05). CRTC looking at allowing use of 911 database info for CNSThe CRTC has begun a proceeding to examine the appropriateness of using information contained in ILECs’ emergency 911 databases to provide a community notification service (CNS). The commission also wants to know under what circumstances, if any, the community notification service would be appropriate and with what safeguards (Telecom Public Notice 2005-7). The proceeding was established after the County of Strathcona on behalf of itself, Fort Saskatchewan, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Brandon, the New Brunswick Department of Safety, Emergency Management Alberta, Emergency Management Ontario, Essex and Niagara Falls filed an application last month asking the commission to allow them to access the 911 databases of ILECs to establish a CNS to further enhance public safety. The CNS is a telephone-based public alerting system that enables a local government authority to notify the citizens within its jurisdiction through a recorded telephone message of any imminent danger to their life, health or property. The applicants stated that the ILECs’ 911 databases were the most accurate sources of telephone numbers and current addresses for residents since they contain both listed and unlisted telephone subscribers. The phone companies have not objected to the application, but have stated that they are currently not permitted to provide access to the information contained in their 911 databases for CNS purposes for reasons of confidentiality of customer information under the respective terms of service agreements or application tariffs. Among the questions that the commission poses are: Should the commission permit the use of information contained in the ILECs’ emergency 911 databases for CNS purposes? If it does, who should be authorized to request the use of information contained in the ILECs’ emergency 911 databases for CNS purposes, and what other entities should be involved with the request? What information from the ILECs’ 911 databases should be made available for CNS purposes? Written comments on the matter are due by July 29. CRTC asks ILECs to startbad debt repayment planThe CRTC has directed Aliant Telecom Inc., Bell Canada, MTS Allstream and TELUS Communications Inc. to conduct a pilot bad debt repayment plan (BDRP) that the regulator has set out for a period of 18 months starting no later than August 29. The pilot program must include a representative sample of 600 former subscribers who have been disconnected because of overdue payments (Telecom Decision 2005-38). Results of the pilot program must be filed with the CRTC no later than 30 days after the 12 months of pilot and must also include evidence as to why the program should not be permanently adopted by the parties. The CRTC also wants to hear from the telephone carriers about when customers should be eligible for the BDRP. The commission is also asking SaskTel to show why its BDRP should not be modified to conform with the terms of the pilot BDRPS set out by the commission. It also asks SaskTel when customers should be eligible for the BDRP. With the exception of SaskTel, the general practice of phone companies is to require full repayment of outstanding arrears, plus a security deposit before reconnecting a customer’s local line. In Telecom Decision 77-14, the CRTC stated that the adverse effects of disconnection on subscribers can in many cases exceed any financial return to the ILEC. In Decision 2004-31, the regulator noted that the subsequent development and use of the 911 emergency number made telephone networks an even more important component of public safety. Cogeco extends telephony service into QuebecCogeco Cable extended its digital telephone service into Quebec on June 28. The move into the Quebec market follows the June 8 launch of the service in the Burlington ON and Oakville ON areas. In Quebec, the telephone service is available in Trois-Rivières and Pointe-du-lac. Cogeco stated that the telephone offering would be further expanded to most cities in its operating territories by December 2006. Cogeco’s cable TV and high-speed Internet subscribers can get the telephone service that includes five calling features for $39.99 a month. Rogers, Cygnal to provide York school board with InternetRogers Cable and Cygnal Technologies signed a 10-year deal with the York Catholic District School Board to provide its classrooms with the Internet. They will provide a complete package of managed network services for 76 elementary schools and 12 secondary schools. The installation is scheduled to begin in August. Aurora Cable TV Ltd. will provision the schools that fall outside of Rogers’ service area. Each of the schools will be wired with fibre optics and linked through Rogers’ network services, providing an extension of the school board’s local area network using the Rogers shared IP infrastructure. The value of the contract was not revealed. TELUS applies for "platinum" perks reward trademarksTELUS Communications has applied for the trademark TELUS Platinum Perks, and Telus Mobility Platinum Perks – which would be used for a reward program for the promotion and sale of wireless telecommunications wares and services. The application was filed with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on June 22. CTI, ClearConnect introduce VoIP bundle for businessesComplete Technology Implementers (CTI) and ClearConnect International VoIP Services on June 24 announced the introduction of a new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to businesses with high-speed Internet. The CTI VoIP Business Bundle allows businesses to call anywhere in the world using their DSL or cable Internet service at discounted rates that the companies say could say them 70% on their long-distance calling. Mail from post office favoured over email: pollAlthough Internet access and email usage are common in Canada, the majority of Canadians still prefer receiving information by regular mail, which is considered more secure than email, according to Pitney Bowes’ Canada 2005 Household Mail Preference Study. More than half (58%) of Canadian households with access to email favour receiving documents, letters and messages by mail while less than a third (30%) prefer the electronic version, according to the poll of 250 households across Canada.

NL Short Takes

News | July 9, 2005

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