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ARCHIVED - Public Notice CRTC 2000-23

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Public Notice CRTC 2000-23

Ottawa, 9 February 2000

Bell Canada - Changes to 976 Service Provider and Accounts Receivable Management agreements

File No.: Tariff Notice 6391

Background

1.

On 31 August 1999, Bell Canada (Bell) filed Tariff Notice 6391 requesting approval of changes to the 976 Service Provider (SP) and Accounts Receivable Management (ARM) agreements in order to align the terms and conditions of 976 service with Advantage 900 service.

2.

In aligning the agreements, Bell proposed to introduce the following new attributes:
. Deposit requirements
. Program content guidelines
. Business/government program
. Service providers must use collection agencies that are provincially licensed.

3.

Bell also proposed to clarify the application of the attributes associated with initial disputes, repeat disputes and bad debt charge-back provisions, and with the charge-back criterion for program termination.

4.

Bell also proposed to increase the ARM fee from 5% to 10%.

5.

On 12 October 1999, the Commission issued Telecom Order CRTC 99-980 (Order 99-980) which approved the changes proposed by Bell in  Tariff Notice 6391.

6.

On 26 October 1999, 934691 Ontario Inc. operating as First Media Group Inc. (First Media) requested that the Commission rescind Order 99-980 and initiate a proceeding to consider the changes proposed by Bell in Tariff Notice 6391. In the alternative, First Media asked that the Commission stay Order 99-980 and in the further alternative, make interim the changes approved in Order 99-980, pending completion of a public process to assess the amendments to 976 service proposed by Bell in Tariff Notice 6391.

7.

By letter dated 23 December 1999, the Commission issued its determination regarding the application filed on 26 October 1999 by First Media.

8.

In that letter, the Commission dismissed the review and vary application. However, it also stated that there are several significant points upon which it would like to receive public comments. These are:
. the extent to which there are substitute services available for 976 service;
. the issue of whether a service provider, if denied access to 976 service, could nevertheless obtain equivalent service;
. the extent to which alternative billing mechanisms are available; and
. generally, the appropriateness of the changes to 976 service, and the impact these have on the industry.

9.

The Commission stated that it considers it desirable and appropriate to provide for fuller public participation on the changes to 976 service. Pending the outcome of that process, the Commission made interim the approval given to Bell's application in Order 99-980.

10.

The Commission hereby initiates a proceeding to examine the appropriateness of the changes to 976 service.

Procedure

11.

Bell and First Media are made parties to this proceeding.

12.

Other interested parties wishing to participate in this proceeding must notify the Commission of their intention to do so by writing to Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, or by fax at (819) 953-0795 by 23 February 2000. Parties are to indicate in the notice their e-mail address, if available. If parties do not have access to e-mail, they are to indicate in their notice whether they wish to receive disk versions of hard copy filings. The Commission will issue a complete list of parties and their mailing addresses (including e-mail addresses, if available), identifying those parties who wish to receive disk versions.

13.

By letter dated 9 February 2000, the Commission issued interrogatories to Bell.

14.

Bell is to file responses to the Commission's interrogatories, serving copies on all parties, by 10 March 2000.

15.

First Media and all other interested parties may file comments with the Commission on any matter raised in this proceeding, serving copies on all other parties, by 24 March 2000.

16.

Bell may file reply comments, serving copies on all parties, by 7 April 2000.

17.

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.

18.

The record of this proceeding may be examined, or will be made available promptly upon request, at the Commission's offices in the following locations:
Central Building
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
1 Promenade du Portage, Room G-5
Hull, Quebec K1A ON2
Tel.: (819) 997-2429 - TDD: 994-0423
Telecopier: (819) 994-0218
405 de Maisonneuve Blvd. East
2nd Floor, Suite B2300
Montréal, Quebec
H2L 4J5
Tel.: (514) 283-6607 - TDD: 283-8316
Telecopier: (514) 283-3689
CRTC Documentation Centre
55 St. Clair Avenue East
Suite 624
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 1M2
Tel.: (416) 952-9096
Telecopier: (416) 954-6343

19.

In addition to hard copy filings, parties are encouraged to file with the Commission electronic versions of their submissions in accordance with the Commission's Interim Telecom Guidelines for the Handling of Machine-Readable Files, dated 30 November 1995. The Commission's e-mail address for electronically filed documents is procedure.telecom@crtc.gc.ca. Electronically filed documents can be accessed at the Commission's Internet site at http://www.crtc.gc.ca.
Secretary General
This notice is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be viewed at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca
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