| reply to MaynardKrebs
Re: How would I request the elimination of the touch-tone fee? I doubt the CRTC would remove touch-tone fees just because you ask and even if that goes through, incumbents who charge it will demand an adjustment to the phone service fee to offset most of it. They will likely state that the TT fee is currently used to offset the loss in productivity factor on the copper plant from losing phone subscribers to wireless, VoIP and cable.
With plenty of options available, my guess is that the CRTC will say that if you really do not want to pay TT fee, you can switch to a different provider. |
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CR123
join:2006-11-04
Vancouver, BC | said by InvalidError: incumbents who charge it will demand an adjustment to the phone service fee to offset most of it.
How many incumbents charge the touch-tone fee besides Bell? I know TELUS doesn't out west.
And I don't know about out in Ontario, but here, the non-forborne (regulated) areas tend to be more rural ones with no CLEC competition, so changing to another provider isn't possible.
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| said by CR123:And I don't know about out in Ontario, but here, the non-forborne (regulated) areas tend to be more rural ones with no CLEC competition, so changing to another provider isn't possible. VoIP is a contender wherever you can get reliable IP connectivity at more than 300kbps and many rural areas can also have cable phone and cellular. |
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jfmezeiPremium
join:2007-01-03
Pointe-Claire, QC
kudos:22 | said by InvalidError:VoIP is a contender wherever you can get reliable IP connectivity
Not to worry, I am sure my buddy Mirko is working hard to convince CRTC to allow Bell to charge the touch tone fee on dry lines  |
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| When ISDN Megalink first came out, they charged what amounted to a Touch Tone fee on each B channel. It was priced at the same price as trunk line touch tone was priced - $10.70/month IIRC.
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 vitesse
join:2002-12-17
Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC
 ·ELECTRONICBOX
·TekSavvy DSL
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 ·voip.ms
| reply to jfmezei
said by jfmezei:Not to worry, I am sure my buddy Mirko is working hard to convince CRTC to allow Bell to charge the touch tone fee on dry lines
They will call this a dial tone fee
For the original OP, to be honest it far simpler to just go with VOIP services. It's cheaper and you have more services included.
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| reply to jfmezei
Knowing Bell, their solution is probably to make IP connectivity unreliable - see DPI throttling as step 1. They weren't happy to see real time traffic outside of what they could legally throttle. :P |
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brad
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON | reply to InvalidError
said by InvalidError:VoIP is a contender wherever you can get reliable IP connectivity at more than 300kbps and many rural areas can also have cable phone and cellular.
Key being wherever you can get reliable IP connectivity... not a whole lot of ISPs that come even close to meeting that requirement when compared to the reliability of POTS. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:13 Reviews:
·callwithus
·voip.ms
·Optimum Voice
·Vitelity VOIP
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| said by brad:Key being wherever you can get reliable IP connectivity... not a whole lot of ISPs that come even close to meeting that requirement when compared to the reliability of POTS.
This is an excellent point, and if I were Canadian what I would [really] be screaming at would be the poor quality of the ISP's overall.
The US lags behind many other countries in this, but this is one area in which Canada is even more behind.
Having said that, in the long run the Canadian ISP's will be getting better, while POTS will be getting worse. |
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| reply to brad
said by brad:Key being wherever you can get reliable IP connectivity... not a whole lot of ISPs that come even close to meeting that requirement when compared to the reliability of POTS. Most ISPs and major incumbents are good enough in general, where things get dicey is when Xplorenet or similar are the only options in the area. |
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brad
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON | said by InvalidError:Most ISPs and major incumbents are good enough in general
Well "good enough" is not reliable. |
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| reply to brad
>when compared to the reliability of POTS.
I remember my phone line was down for more than 48 hours and had to use pay phone to call them to fix it for a 2nd time in my school days.
So far other than a few of my ISP going out business/change hands, internet connectivity for last 10+ years has not been that bad yet.
In my case, I have a PAYGO phone, elevator emergency phone line, rental office, pay phone across the street etc as backups. |
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brad
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON | said by Ott_Cable :So far other than a few of my ISP going out business/change hands, internet connectivity for last 10+ years has not been that bad yet.
You're very lucky, but that's not typical. |
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| reply to brad
said by brad:Well "good enough" is not reliable. Most people who have VoIP for everyday calling also have cellphone as a backup when something goes wrong, so broadband "good enough" to make VoIP work when everything is working normally is good enough.
As far as emergency-worthiness "reliability" goes, I bet most people would reach for their cellphones before anything else anyhow since they are usually either worn on self or otherwise kept closer than traditional phones. |
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brad
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON | said by InvalidError:Most people who have VoIP for everyday calling also have cellphone as a backup when something goes wrong, so broadband "good enough" to make VoIP work when everything is working normally is good enough.
As far as emergency-worthiness "reliability" goes, I bet most people would reach for their cellphones before anything else anyhow since they are usually either worn on self or otherwise kept closer than traditional phones.
Which is a failure for VoIP. |
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| said by brad:Which is a failure for VoIP. It is a success as far as not having to pay touch-tone fee for the line you use for everyday calls goes. |
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