*
There is a Public Notice out from the CRTC, looking at whether to remove some of the final regulations that are still imposed on Bell, TELUS and the incumbents for long distance services.
Regulation on the major phone companies have been largely forborne since 1997, but there are a few little items that seem anachronistic in today’s competitive reality: maintaining a basic rate schedule for toll; prohibit route de-averaging on these rates; provide advance notice of changes in these rates; make these rates available for any customer requesting them; etc.
Does it matter? We can think of a few reasons that it does, including ways that residential consumers can subscribe to basic rates in order to save (that’s right, save) the so-called ‘network access’ fee.
And besides, if there is no longer a list price, how will we know what percentage the savings are for other price plans?