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CRTC ALERTS PAYPHONE
SERVICE PROVIDERS
OTTAWA-HULL — The CRTC wants to remind investors and payphone service providers that there are specific rules and consumer safeguards associated with providing payphone service in Canada. Payphone competition began in June 1998, and recently the CRTC has received a number of complaints and inquiries on this subject.
Attached is a checklist of procedures and requirements you should adhere to before providing this service to the public. These procedures flow from a Commission decision introducing competition in payphone service, entitled "Local Pay Telephone Competition".
In order to provide payphone service, you must:
The decision on "Local Pay Telephone Competition", (Telecom Decision CRTC 98-8 [part 1 | part 2]), and Telecom Orders 98-626 and 98-1186 modifying this decision are available on our web site at (www.crtc.gc.ca). To receive these documents by mail or for more information on this issue, please contact the CRTC toll-free at 1-877-249-CRTC.
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General Inquiries:
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
Tel: (819) 997-0313, TDD (819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 994-0218
Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782), eMail: info@crtc.gc.ca
Media Relations:
Denis Carmel, Tel: (819) 997-9403, eMail: denis.carmel@crtc.gc.ca
Copies of today's documents are available through our Internet site (http://www.crtc.gc.ca) or by contacting the public examination room of any CRTC office. These documents are available in alternative format upon request.
| City | Telephone | TDD | Fax |
| Halifax Montreal Ottawa-Hull Regina Toronto Vancouver Winnipeg |
(902) 426-7997 (514) 283-6607 (819) 997-2429 (306) 780-3422 (416) 952-9096 (604) 666-2111 (204) 983-6306 |
(902) 426-6997 (514) 283-8316 (819) 994-0423 (819) 994-0423 (819) 994-0423 (604) 666-0778 (204) 983-8274 |
(902) 426-2721 (514) 283-3689 (819) 994-0218 (819) 994-0218 (819) 994-0218 (604) 666-8322 (204) 983-6317 |
COMPETITIVE PAY TELEPHONE SERVICE
PROVIDERS (CPTSP) OBLIGATIONS
ENTRY PROCEDURES |
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| 1. | The CPTSP must attest in writing that it understands and will conform to the obligations and consumer safeguards set out in Telecom Decision CRTC 98-8. | |
| 2. | The CPTSP must provide the name of the carrier supplying the access lines in each serving area. | |
| 3. | The CPTSP must provide to the Commission serving area maps for information purposes and make such serving area maps available upon request at their business offices. | |
| 4. | The CPTSP must provide details as to how it proposes to deal with consumer complaints. | |
OBLIGATIONS – MANDATED SAFEGUARDS |
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| a) | Provision of coinless and cardless access to 9-1-1, or access to emergency call routing by an operator accessed by dialing 0 at a pay telephone. Where required by civic authorities, provision of a list of detailed pay telephone locations to the enhanced 9-1-1 administrator. | |
| b) | Provision of Message Relay Service (MRS). | |
| c) | Provision of 6-1-1 or other number for reporting telephone trouble. | |
| d) | Provision of non-discriminatory access to the networks of all alternate providers of long distance service connected to the underlying local exchange network, if long distance calling is permitted. | |
| e) | Posting on or near the pay telephone the company name, address and toll-free number where information can be obtained and complaints addressed. | |
| f) | Posting the Commission’s address and toll-free number (1-877-249-CRTC) on all pay telephone equipment, in order to ensure that consumers have direct recourse to facilitate resolution of unresolved complaints. | |
| g) | Operator services, if provided, (other than emergency services access and MRS) that are in compliance with Telecom Order CRTC 95-316 as well as with procedures that evolve from the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee. |
| h) | Prominent display, at each pay telephone location, of the following information: rates of local calls, the name of the default long distance provider, and any surcharges not included in the price of the call. | |
| i) | Provision for coin return for uncompleted calls, such as busy signals or no answer if coin access is applicable, and similarly if a card is used, alternately billed charges must not apply if the call is not connected to the called party. | |
| j) | Standard arrangement of letters as well as numbers provided on the dial in order to permit callers to reach their provider of choice through the use of commonly used vanity access sequences. | |
| k) | All pay telephones are to meet existing and future CSA and the Terminal Attachment Program Advisory Committee standards to prevent network harm. | |
| l) | All pay telephones are to be accessible to the
physically disabled, be hearing aid compatible and meet the standards established in
Telecom Order CRTC 98-626, as modified by Telecom Order CRTC 98-1186, for provisioning of
service to visually impaired consumers. These include:
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| m) | Adherence to all applicable Commission rules concerning protection of customer privacy. |
Users of this table are reminded that this is an unofficial document intended for convenience only and is not to be relied upon as an official version of "Local Pay Telephone Competition", Telecom Decision CRTC 98-8 [part 1 | part 2], 30 June 1998; Telecom Order CRTC 98-626, 26 June 1998 or Telecom Order CRTC 98-1186, 26 November 1998.