News Release

April 9, 2002

CRTC WANTS PUBLIC INPUT ON PROPOSED 
CHANGES TO 1-900 TELEPHONE NUMBER SERVICES

OTTAWA-GATINEAU - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) wants to hear from Canadians on the current rules and proposed changes to 1-900 telephone number services set out in Telecom Public Notice 2002-2 issued today.

By dialling 1-900 plus a telephone number, consumers can access various entertainment and information services including explicit sexual chat lines, psychic consultations, soap opera updates, and games of chance. 1-900 numbers are also used to access government services, such as weather and road condition reports.

The Commission is asking for public input on the existing rules and consumer safeguards. In addition, the Commission wants to know whether the same rules that govern current billing practices for the telephone companies should also apply to 900 service providers or other companies handling billing and collecting functions for 900 services. The Commission will also consider new suggestions to protect consumers who use 900 services.

Last November, Bell Canada, Aliant Telecom Inc., MTS Communications Inc. and TELUS Communications Inc. jointly proposed changes to the business arrangements between telephone companies and businesses that provide these services to better accommodate consumers. Some of the proposed changes are designed to provide additional protection for the consumer using 900 services. For example, the companies suggest enhancing Internet protection, prohibiting fraud through "scratch and win" using 900 numbers, and reducing caller charges for games-of-chance from $25 to $5. At the same time, the companies are also proposing increasing the maximum charge for calls to psychics from $100 to $200.

The Commission is looking for comments, suggestions or alternatives to:

• the existing rules regarding 900 telephone number services;
• the extension of rules to other companies that are billing and collecting for 900 services; and
• the proposals set out in the Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2002-2.

Parties other than the companies mentioned above who wish to participate in this proceeding must let the Commission know by 22 April 2002.

Interested members of the public may file comments by 21 May 2002.

You can reach the Commission or file comments electronically or via hard-copy. Contact the Secretary General by mail at CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2; by fax at (819) 953-0795; or by email at procedure@crtc.gc.ca .

For more complete information on how to file comments or to participate in the proceeding, refer to Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2002-2.

Reference Documents:
     Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2002-2
     Telecom Order CRTC 2002-143
     Tariff Notice 741
     Tariff Notice 740
     Telecom Public Notice CRTC 1993-34

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is an independent public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.

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Media Inquiries:
     Denis Carmel, Tel: (819) 997-9403, eMail: denis.carmel@crtc.gc.ca

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
TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-2782

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.

Date Modified: 2002-04-09

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