Search

ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter Addressed to Distribution List

This page has been archived on the Web

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. Archived Decisions, Notices and Orders (DNOs) remain in effect except to the extent they are amended or reversed by the Commission, a court, or the government. The text of archived information has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Changes to DNOs are published as “dashes” to the original DNO number. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats by contacting us.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

Ottawa, 28 July 2015

Our reference: 8638-C12-200314641

BY EMAIL

To: Distribution list

Re:   Obligations of wireless service providers with respect to customer notification of 9-1-1 service availability, characteristics and limitations

Quick, easy and reliable access to emergency services is critical to the health and safety of citizens, and is an important part of ensuring that Canadians have access to world-class communications systems. Telecommunications service providers (TSPs), Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), the CRTC and government each have a unique and important responsibility in ensuring that Canadians have access to reliable emergency services. Over the years, the Commission has established policies to ensure the availability of reliable and effective access to 9-1-1 services in Canada. We count on your continued collaboration in ensuring the safety of Canadians.

With regard to 9-1-1 service provided by wireless service providers (WSPs), the Commission stated in Telecom Decision 2003-53 that it was of the view that public safety would be improved if WSPs were to provide subscribers with information regarding the availability, characteristics and limitations of the wireless emergency service that they offer. The details as to the types of notifications required were later identified in the Conclusions section of a letter, dated 21 February 2005, Footnote 1 to WSPs (a copy of this letter can be found in Appendix A of the present letter). 

Commission staff is currently assessing whether wireless service providers are disseminating this important information to their subscribers. Accordingly, the wireless carriers included in the distribution list for this letter are required to file with the Commission the following information no later than 4 September 2015:

In reference to the required notifications outlined in the 21 February 2005 letter:

  1. Please confirm that your company is providing all of the information as required.
  2. If your company is not providing the required information to your customers, provide a date by which you expect to be able to do so.
  3. If your company is providing these required notifications via its website please provide the website link related to:
    1. User Tips;
    2. initial notification; and
    3. periodic notifications.
  4. If your company is providing notifications to customers with disabilities in alternative formatsFootnote 2 , please describe what formats have been provided (e.g. Braille, large print, or electronically for screen readers)

A copy of this letter and all subsequent correspondence will be placed on the public record of the above-noted file. If you have any questions with regards to this letter, please contact Joel McGrath at (819) 635-7485 or joel.mcgrath@crtc.gc.ca

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by P. Kent for

Kay Saicheua
Director Competition & Emergency Services Policy
Telecommunications Sector

c.c.:   Joel McGrath, CRTC, (819) 635-7485, joel.mcgrath@crtc.gc.ca
Kurt Eby, CWTA, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations keby@cwta.ca

Distribution List

APPENDIX A

21 February 2005

By Email

File No: 8638-C12-200314641

To: Distribution list (see attached)

Re: Follow-up to decision 2003-53 - Conditions of service for wireless competitive local exchange carriers and for emergency services offered by wireless service providers

In Paragraph 94 of Conditions of service for wireless competitive local exchange carriers and for emergency services offered by wireless service providers (WSPs), Telecom Decision CRTC 2003-53, dated 12 August 2003, the Commission required all WSPs to file by 13 November 2003 a proposal for providing WSP's subscribers with initial and periodic notification of the availability, characteristics and limitations of the 9-1-1 service offered by the WSP.

The following parties filed proposals as directed: Bell Mobility Inc. (Bell), Aliant Telecom Inc. (Aliant), MTS Allstream Inc. (MTS), Saskatchewan Telecommunications (Sasktel), Telus Communications Inc. (TELUS), KMTS Mobility (KMTS), Microcell Solutions Inc. (Microcell)Footnote 3 , NorthernTel Limited Partnership (NorthernTel), Télébec, société en commandite (Télébec), Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel) and Rogers Wireless Inc. (Rogers).

Position of Parties

All parties (except TELUS) proposed that customers be provided with tips to remember when calling 9-1-1 from a wireless phone based on the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) E9-1-1 fact sheet.  TELUS which is a member of the CWTA, did not propose a similar list of tips as other parties did, but neither did it agree or disagree with it.  In general, the parties proposed that the key messages which should be communicated to customers, will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following user tips concerning wireless 911 services:

All parties also proposed to provide information, in various formats, outlining the availability, characteristics and limitations of wireless 9-1-1 and E9-1-1service as applicable in their respective licensed operating territory. All parties proposed that their communication plans for both the initial and the periodic notification be segmented to post-paid and pre-paid sub-groups as different methods of communication will be needed for each

Initial Notification

All parties proposed that new customers and existing customers be provided with 9-1-1 information in all handset packaging provided as part of their handset initiation/renewal package. This information will be provided either through a brochure or by a 9-1-1 information sticker on handset boxes.

For post-paid customers i.e., those receiving a monthly statement, all parties suggested that either through bill inserts or on the bill itself, they will provide information which outlines the availability, characteristics and limitations of wireless 9-1-1 service as applicable in their respective licensed operating territory.

All parties (except Microcell, NorthernTel and Télébec) proposed that for pre-paid customers, i.e., those not receiving a monthly statement, the primary communications channel between these customers and their WSPs is the Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system. Pre-paid customers use this system on a regular basis to top up and administer their pre-paid account. The parties proposed that the pre-paid IVR system include the wireless 9-1-1 initial messaging in the "must listen" front end portion.

TELUS noted that the IVR system is not well suited to convey specific and involved E9-1-1 messages but proposed it be used to refer pre-paid clients to its website for further information on E9-1-1.

Microcell and Rogers proposed to send a bulk Short Message Service (SMS) message to the entire existing pre-paid end-customer base informing them that important information is available to them on their web site regarding the nature and proper use of wireless emergency services.  Microcell noted that for practical customer management and network management reasons, this bulk SMS message would not necessarily be sent to all end-customers on the same date.

NorthernTel and Télébec proposed that their customer service representatives will give 9-1-1 information when pre-paid customers are topping up their accounts. They also proposed to provide 9-1-1 information in a brochure upon purchase of a pre-paid card and/or to send a letter to all pre-paid customers.

Periodic Notification

TELUS, Microcell and Rogers proposed that periodic notification be done on an annual basis.

All parties proposed a variety of communications channels to provide customers with periodic notification of the availability, characteristics and limitations of wireless 9-1-1 service.  All parties also proposed to utilize their websites to provide comprehensive 9-1-1 information.
For post-paid customers, Microcell, Rogers and TELUS suggested that, either through bill inserts or on the bill itself, they will each provide information which outlines the availability, characteristics and limitations of wireless 9-1-1 service as applicable in their respective licensed operating territory.

For pre-paid customers, Microcell and Rogers proposed to send a bulk SMS message to their pre-paid end-customer base informing them that important 9-1-1 information is available to them on their web site regarding the nature and proper use of wireless emergency services. 
TELUS proposed using the IVR system to refer pre-paid customers to their website for further 9-1-1 information.

Bell, Aliant, MTS, Sasktel, Telus, KMTS, NorthernTel, Télébec, and Northwestel proposed that they will also utilize the following channels;

Conclusions

Having regard to the proposals described above, the following approaches for providing WSP subscribers with initial and periodic notification are to be implement to the extent that this has not already been put into practice.

All WSPS are to provide their customers with a) user tips to remember when calling 9-1-1 from a wireless phone, and b) information which outlines the availability, characteristics and limitations of wireless 9-1-1 and E9-1-1service as applicable in their respective licensed operating territory.  

The user tips to be communicated to customers in include, but need not necessarily be limited to, the following: 911 user tips concerning the use of the Wireless 911 service:

Initial Notification

All new customers or existing customers are to be provided with the 911 information in a) and b) above. This information will be provided in all handset packaging provided to customers as part of their handset initiation/renewal package. This information can be provided either through a brochure or by a 9-1-1 information sticker on handset boxes or both. This should be implemented within 90 days of the date of this letter.

All WSPs are to provide as an initial notification to all post-paid customers the 911 information in a) and b) above, either through bill inserts or on the bill itself. This should be implemented within 90 days of the date of this letter.

For pre-paid customers who do not receive a monthly bill, all WSPs (except NorthernTel and Télébec) are to provide an initial notification through their respective IVR system in the "must listen" front end portion. WSPs may provide the 911 information in a) and b) above using the IVR system. However, at a minimum WSPs should use the IVR system to refer pre-paid clients to their website for the information in a) and b) above.

WSPs may also send as an initial notification, a bulk SMS message to their entire existing pre-paid end-customer base referring them to their website for the 911 information in a) and b) above.

NorthernTel and Télébec, as an initial notification to pre-paid subscribers, are to provide the 911 information in a) and b) above, through the following means: on a brochure upon purchase of a pre-paid card; and/or by referring pre-paid customers to their website for  information using their customer service representatives when pre-paid customers are topping up their accounts.  As another option, NorthernTel and Télébec may send a letter as an initial notification to all pre-paid customers, providing the 911 information in a) and b) above.

Periodic Notification

All WSPS are to provide the 911 information in a) and b) above, updated as required, on their websites.

All WSPs are to ensure that all customers are at a minimum given annual notification of the 911 information in a) and b) above. This information is to be provided through, but not limited to, any of the following means;

In the case of post-paid customers, either through:

In the case of pre-paid customers, either through:

Parties are asked to confirm by email to paul.godin@crtc.gc.ca, no later than 90 days after receiving this letter, that they have implemented the above measures.

Yours sincerely,

Scott Hutton
Director General
Competition, Costing and Tariffs
Telecommunications

c.c.: James Ndirangu, CRTC  (819) 997-3670

Distribution list: 

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Refer to staff letter dated 21 February 2005 (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2005/lt050221a.htm) regarding the follow-up to Conditions of service for wireless competitive local exchange carriers and for emergency services offered by wireless service providers, Telecom Decision 2003-53, 12 August 2003, in file reference number 8638-C12-200314641

Return to footnote 1

Footnote 2

Pursuant to Telecom Decision 2002-13 Extending the availability of alternative formats to consumers who are blind.

Return to footnote 2

Footnote 3

Microcell was recently acquired by Rogers. Any comments Microcell made in this proceeding will be attributed to it.

Return to footnote 3

Date modified: