ARCHIVED - Letter
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Ottawa, 3 July 2013
Our reference: 8480-B54-X
BY EMAIL
Distribution
RE: Charging customers for paper bills
Dear Madam, Sir:
The Commission has become aware that, with the availability of electronic billing , certain communications service providers have begun to charge their customers who wish to continue to receive paper bills. In the last few months, the Commission has received inquiries, expressions of concern and complaints from individual Canadians, consumer and citizen associations, and members of Parliament concerning this practice. The purpose of this letter is to obtain information that will provide the Commission with a better understanding of the extent of this practice across the Canadian communication sector.
The service providers listed in the distribution list are required to respond to the following questions by July 18, 2013:
1. Is your company, including affiliates, charging Canadian customers of telecommunications and/or broadcasting services a fee for a paper bill or providing a discount as an incentive to switch to electronic billing? If so, specify the fee or discount being applied.
2. If your company, including affiliates, is charging Canadian customers for a paper bill or providing a discount as an incentive to switch to electronic billing, describe in which circumstances it is doing so. In particular, please provide details specifying:
(a) the broadcasting and telecommunications service(s) in respect of which the fee/discount applies;
(b) whether the service is provided in accordance with a tariff or a license approved by the Commission;
(c) whether the fee/discount applies to all customers for each service identified, and if not, the categories of customers to which the fee/discount applies and the categories of customers that are exempt from any such fee or do not receive the discount (e.g. new vs. existing customers, people with disabilities, seniors);
(d) whether there are options for customers to avoid being charged for a paper bill (other than opting for electronic billing); and
(e) any other relevant terms and/or conditions applicable to the fee/discount.
In responding to the above questions, if the practice of charging for a paper bill or providing a discount varies across lines of business and/or service, please identify the practice in place for each line of business and/or service.
If you have any questions about this request, please contact Michel Murray at
819-997-9300.
Yours sincerely,
Original signed by
Barbara Motzney
Chief Consumer Officer
Consumer Affairs and Strategic Policy
c.c.: Chris Seidl, Executive Director, Telecommunications, chris.seidl@crtc.gc.ca
Scott Hutton, Executive Director, Broadcasting, scott.hutton@crtc.gc.ca
Attachment
Distribution List
Bell Canada: bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership: norma.sherwood@bellaliant.ca
MTS Inc.: iworkstation@mtsallstream.com
Saskatchewan Telecommunications: Document.control@sasktel.sk.ca
TELUS Communications Company: tom.woo@telus.com
Data & Audio Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc. (Mobilicity): gary.wong@mobilicity.ca
Globalive Wireless Management Corp./Yak Communications (Canada) Corp: lisajackson@globalive.com
Public Mobile Inc.: Jamie.greenberg@publicmobile.ca
Access Communications Co-operative Limited: jim.deane@accesscomm.ca
Bragg Communications Incorporated: stacey.langley@corp.eastlink.ca
Cogeco Cable GP Inc.: telecom.regulatory@cogeco.com
Novus Entertainment Inc.: donna.robertson@novusnow.ca
Shaw Telecom Inc.: Regulatory@sjrb.ca
Rogers Communications Partnership: david.watt@rci.rogers.com
Vidéotron G.P.: regaffairs@quebecor.com
Brooke Telecom Co-operative Limited: jim@brooketel.ca
Bruce Telecom: regulatory@brucetelecom.com
CityWest Telephone Corporation: heather.bishop@cwct.ca
Cochrane Telecom Services: louise.robichaud@cochranetel.ca
CoopTel coop de telecommunication: pallard@cooptel.qc.ca
Execulink Telecom Inc.: jonathan.scott@execulink.com
Gosfield North Communications Co-operative Limited: regulatory@gosfieldtel.ca
Hay Communications Co-operative Limited: a.schneider@hay.net
Huron Telecommunications Co-Operative Limited: grubb@hurontel.on.ca
La Cie de Téléphone de Courcelles Inc.: jpatry@telcourcelles.qc.ca
La Compagnie de Téléphone de Lambton Inc.: tellambton@tellambton.net
La Compagnie de téléphone de St-Victor telvic@telvic.net
La Compagnie de téléphone Upton Inc.: j-fmathieu@telupton.qc.ca
Lansdowne Rural Telephone Company Ltd.: wagrier@1000island.net
Mornington Communications Co-operative Limited: lhallahan@mornington.ca
Nexicom Telecommunications Inc.: jdowns@nexicomgroup.net; pdowns@nexicomgroup.net
North Frontenac Telephone Corporation Ltd.: nfrontenac@kw.igs.net
NRTC Communications: steve@wtccommunications.ca
O.N.Tel Inc. (Ontera): tracy.cant@ontera.ca
Quadro Communications Co-operative Inc.: barry.stone@quadro.net
Roxborough Telephone Company Limited: roxboro@ontarioeast.net
Sogetel Inc./ Téléphone Milot Inc.: sophie.houde@sogetel.com
TBayTel: rob.olenick@tbaytel.com
Téléphone de St-Éphrem inc.: telstep@telstep.net
Téléphone Guèvremont Inc.: guycordeauavocat@bellnet.ca
WTC Communications: Accounting@wtccommunications.ca
Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative Limited: regulatory@tcc.on.ca
Wightman Telecom Ltd. kgugan@wightman.ca
All Communications Network of Canada Co.: taxdepartment@acninc.com
AOL Canada Inc.: regulatoryca@aol.com
Convergia Networks Inc.: elizabeth.manzoni@future.ca
Distributel Communications Limited: regulatory@distributel.ca
DERYtelecom Inc.: cedric.tardif@derytelecom.ca
Fibernetics Corporation: regulatory@fibernetics.ca
Gold Line Telemanagement Inc.: shala@goldline.net
International Comwave Telecommunications: tchislett@comwave.net;
Iristel Technologies Inc: regulatory@iristel.com
Maskatel Inc.: guycordeauavocat@bellnet.ca
Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc.: regulatory@primustel.ca
Sears Connect Inc.: rtam22@sears.ca
SSi Micro Ltd.: regulatory@ssimicro.com
TekSavvy Solutions Inc.: regulatory@teksavvy.com
Télécommunications Xittel Inc.: clec-admin@xittel.net
Vancouver Telephone Company Limited: ldellaero@matrixbt.com
Vonage Canada Corp: sonal.shah@vonage.com
Westman Media Cooperative Ltd. kaastras@westmancom.com
Xplornet Communications Inc.: dmacelwain@corp.xplornet.com
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