To:  The CRTC & Bell Canada

From:  Sergio Sartor

            Bancroft, Ontario

Date:  August 29, 2001

Re:  CRTC Reviewing Rules For Local Telephone Service Prices

To Whom It May Concern:

I have become aware of a review of the rules regarding local telephone services.  I would like to comment on the discrepancies that people in rural areas, such as myself, experience as compared to that of larger city areas.

I am a resident of Bancroft, Ontario.  We have very limited internet service access, with one local provider and the availability of Bell Sympatico dial-up service only by calling Haliburton (a local call).  We have NO high speed access available for residential use.  We pay the same local phone fees as anyone in a larger city, as well as pay the same monthly charges for the Bell Sympatico service as anyone else in Canada.  There is one major difference in the quality of service we receive - depending on your area of town, the quality and speed of connection is at best ½ of what it should be and is in the city.  I find it ironic that when I call Bell Sympatico in Haliburton from anywhere else but Bancroft, even from another country, I get a far superior connection with the full capability of speed and reliability.  This is directly related to the quality of equipment being used in Bancroft by Bell Canada for it's local service and the abilities of that equipment to allow for a faster dial up connection.

I disagree with having increased priced local access UNLESS they can provide rural users the same access as that of a larger center.  Your regulations mentioned in your add state that RURAL access may increase to $29.65 in the 4 years.  I believe that this cost is very expensive, and rather than having a price increase, rural customers should be receiving a rebate for the unequal access we have been receiving over the years.

In addition, I have received numerous flyers, adds and soliciting phone calls from Bell Canada offering services at special rates.  I have become interested in these services, for example call answering, only to find out that they are not available in my area.  In my opinion, Bell should offer it's services equally to all of Canada at an equal cost.  High speed internet access would be a very nice addition to my household.  Bell Sympatico High Speed Edition is not available, and Bell's satellite service is out of reasonable cost range as well as still requiring an ISP connection.

Rural resident's should receive the same services as anyone else in Canada, and costs should remain equal.

Thank you for your time.