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Telecom Public Notice
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Ottawa, 28 July 1989
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Telecom Public Notice CRTC 1989-36
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BELL CANADA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA TELEPHONE COMPANY - INTRODUCTION OF 800 PLUS AND REVISIONS TO 800 SERVICE AND WATS RATES
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References: Bell Canada Tariff Notices 3093 and 3094, British Columbia Telephone Company Tariff Notices 1917 and 1918
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The Commission has received applications from Bell Canada (Bell), dated 4 May 1989, for approval of tariff revisions relating to Canada 800 Service and Canada Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS), and from British Columbia Telephone Company (B.C. Tel), dated 29 May 1989, for approval of tariff revisions relating to Canada 800 Service.
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Under Tariff Notice 3094, Bell proposes a restructuring of the rates for Canada 800 Service and Canada WATS. The company proposes the elimination of 140 hour Canada 800 Service, resulting in the use of the 5-hour initial service period for all Canada 800 Service lines. The company also proposes a tapered discount schedule for additional usage beyond the initial service period. Depending upon the volume used, proposed rates for additional hours of usage involve discounts ranging from 15% to 40% in relation to the hourly rate during the initial service period.
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Tariff Notice 3094 also proposes the introduction of call length minimums for both Canada 800 Service and Canada WATS. Bell proposes one minute average minimum billing, to be applied to calling volumes for each subscribed zone at each customer premises. The company also proposes to increase the initial timing interval for each message to thirty seconds.
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Bell stated that the proposed changes would make Bell's tariff more consistent with the tariffs of other Telecom Canada members.
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Under Tariff Notice 1917, B.C. Tel proposes a restructuring of its 800 Service rates. For Zones 3 to 6, B.C. Tel proposes a tapered discount schedule for additional usage beyond the 5-hour monthly contract period. The discount levels for additional usage would range from 15% to 40% of the initial service period rate, depending on total usage. B.C. Tel has proposed no changes to the existing tapered discount schedule for Zones 1 and 2. The company does not propose to change rates for its "Bulk" Class 800 Service. It does, however, propose to change its name to "High Volume" Service.
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Both companies have filed proposed tariff revisions intended to clarify descriptions, terms and conditions of service. Both companies state that the revisions are not intended to alter the terms or conditions of the services in question.
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B.C. Tel stated that the upgrading of a switch in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, now permits it to provision the exchange of Atlin, B.C., as part of 800 Service Zone 1, rather that as part of Zone 3. B.C. Tel has proposed tariff revisions to accommodate this change.
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Under Bell Tariff Notice 3093 and B.C. Tel Tariff Notice 1918, the companies propose General Tariff revisions providing for the introduction of 800 Plus. 800 Plus consists of three new features, SingleNumber, FlexRoute and ZonePlus, available to 800 Service subscribers.
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The proposed SingleNumber feature would provide customers with the option of utilizing one Canada 800 Service number to serve two or more groups of terminating lines in several locations or Canada 800 Service zones. FlexRoute, when used in conjunction with SingleNumber, would enable customers to direct Canada 800 Service calls to specific terminating locations according to a predetermined schedule depending upon time of day, day of week, or a particular set of holidays. The third proposed feature, ZonePlus, would allow the completion of calls to Canada 800 Service numbers from Canadian Numbering Plan Areas outside the subscribed zone.
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In support of Tariff Notices 3093 and 1918, Bell and B.C. Tel have submitted economic information for which they have claimed confidentiality. The companies have provided abridged versions of this information for the public record.
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PROCEDURE
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The Commission hereby invites comments with respect to the applications described above. In considering Bell's proposed changes in WATS and 800 Service call length billing minimums, the Commission intends to consider B.C. Tel's existing tariffs with respect to call length billing minimums.
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(1) Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) is joined to this proceeding with respect to the issue of call length minimums for billing purposes.
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(2) Persons wishing to participate in this proceeding (interveners) must file a notice of intention to participate with the Commission, serving copies on Bell, B.C. Tel and Northwestel (the companies), by 28 August 1989.
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(3)The Commission has addressed interrogatories to the companies. The companies' responses to these interrogatories must be filed with the Commission, and copies served on interveners and on each other, by 11 September 1989.
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(4)Interveners may file comments with the Commission, serving copies on the companies, by 11 October 1989.
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(5)The companies may file replies to any comments, serving copies on the interveners, by 23 October 1989.
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(6) Where a document is to be filed or served by a specific date, the documents must be actually received, not merely mailed, by that date.
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(7)The addresses to be used in connection with this proceeding are:
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Mr. Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2
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Mrs. Tannis Yankewicz
Director General
Regulatory Matters
Bell Canada
25 Eddy Street
4th Floor
Hull, Quebec
J8Y 6N4
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Ms. D.E. Byrne
Vice-President
Regulatory Matters & Corporate
Secretary
British Columbia Telephone
Company
21-3777 Kingsway
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5H 3Z7
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Mr. J.M. Williamson
Director
Marketing and Regulatory Affairs
Northwestel Inc.
P.O. Bag 2727
301 Lambert St.
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
Y1A 4Y4
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Each company's application may be examined at their respective business offices. All related documents may be examined at the offices of the CRTC, Room 201, Central Building, Les Terrasses de la Chaudière, 1 Promenade du Portage, Hull, Quebec, or 800 Burrard Street, Suite 1500, Vancouver, British Columbia. A copy of each company's application is available upon request directed to the company in question at the address noted in paragraph 7 above.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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