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Ottawa, 2 August 1994
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Telecom Public Notice CRTC 94-35
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CONSUMER SAFEGUARDS FOR OPERATOR SERVICES
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Reference: Unitel Tariff Notice 919
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The Commission has received an application from Unitel Communications Inc. (Unitel), dated 17 June 1994, for approval of tariff revisions providing for the introduction of operator-assisted calling for Unitel calling card holders and for consumer safeguards for Unitel-provided operator services.
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Unitel states that its proposed consumer safeguards would also apply to any future Unitel-provided operator services. Specifically, the company proposes that:
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(1) Unitel operators identify themselves as representing Unitel to callers or to any party accepting charges for a collect or billed-to-third-party call, prior to charges being incurred;
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(2) Unitel operators provide the customer with sufficient time to terminate the call at no charge prior to the call being connected;
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(3) Unitel operators provide, upon customer request, (a) rates or charges for a call, (b) alternative call billing methods available to customers, and (c) complaint procedures available to dissatisfied customers;
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(4) Unitel post information in close proximity to each publicly accessed telephone serviced, identifying itself and providing rate information; and
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(5) in cases where Unitel provides operator services on behalf of another party, Unitel withhold payment of any compensation to that party if 10-XXX or 1-800 access is blocked to competitive carriers.
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The Commission is of the preliminary view that uniform consumer safeguards governing the provision of operator services should apply to all carriers under its jurisdiction that offer competitive long distance services. The Commission is also of the view that it may be appropriate to include consumer safeguards as conditions of service in the telephone companies' tariffs for services or facilities that might be used by competitors offering operator services.
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The Commission requests comment on the following:
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(1) the adequacy of the specific consumer safeguards proposed by Unitel and whether any alternate or additional safeguards would be appropriate;
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(2) whether uniform safeguards should be required in all tariffs for operator services provided by facilities-based carriers of competitive long distance service; and
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(3) whether the telephone companies' tariffs should provide for such safeguards through conditions of service for services or facilities that might be used by competitors offering operator services.
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The Commission also requests comment on the specifics of Unitel's application. In this context, the Commission notes that Unitel proposes, among other things, a surcharge of $1.25 for operator-assisted Canada-Canada, Canada-U.S. and U.S.-Canada calling card calls. For operator-assisted Canada-Mexico calls, Unitel proposes a surcharge of $6.25.
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Procedure
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1. The application may be examined at Unitel's business offices or at the offices of the CRTC in the following locations:
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Room 201
Central Building
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
1 Promenade du Portage
Hull, Quebec
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Suite 1007
Bank of Commerce Building
1809 Barrington Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Place Montréal Trust
1800 McGill College Avenue
Suite 1920
Montréal, Quebec
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Suite 820
Standard Life Centre
121 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 3T9
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Suite 1810
275 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Suite 1380
800 Burrard Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
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2. A copy of the application may be obtained by any interested person upon request directed to Unitel at the address noted below.
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The mailing addresses to be used in this proceeding are:
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Mr. Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
CRTC
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0N2
Fax: (819) 953-0795
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Mr. Steven Guiton
Executive Director
Regulatory Matters
Unitel Communications Inc.
200 Wellington Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3C7
Fax: (416) 345-2878
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3. Persons wishing to participate in this proceeding must file a notice of intention to participate with the Commission at the address noted above by 30 August 1994. The Commission will issue a complete list of parties and their mailing addresses.
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4. Parties may file comments with the Commission, serving copies on all other parties, by 9 September 1994.
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5. Parties may file reply comments, serving copies on all other parties, by 19 September 1994.
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6. Where a document is to be filed or served by a specific date, the document must be actually received, not merely mailed, by that date.
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The Commission has given the proposed tariff revisions interim approval and will make a final determination after comments received in response to this Public Notice have been considered.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
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