Keith Spicer, Chair
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2

15 September 1995

Dear Mr. Spicer:

The British Columbia Library Association is an organization representing more than 900 libraries and library workers in all regions of the province.

We are writing to oppose planned increases in local telephone rates, which we understand could result in increases of more than 30% over the next three years and which could also result in the introduction of location metered phone services (LMS) for business in Ontario.

Allowing the presence of LMS, even for businesses, is just the beginning of the eventual implementation of LMS to all telephone users.

As you know, the telephone provides an essential form of public access to a number of basic services including health care, emergency services, and various government agencies. It is also vital to accessing information services such as libraries, information centres, and community networks. If not moderated by government, the eventual effect of these increases will be to inhibit less affluent citizens from making calls to get the services or information they need.

We believe that the competition introduced in the long distance marketplace, and the resulting economies for consumers, should not now be undone by large rate increases for consumers which would affect a far larger number than benefitted from the long distance reductions.

For this reason, we would advocate more moderate rate increases which do not exceed the annual rate of inflation and we urge the CRTC to create such a guideline in its ruling on this issue.

Sincerely,

Nancy Levesque, President
British Columbia Library Association

Jacqueline van Dyk, Chair
BCLA Information Policy Committee

Copyright © 1995 BCLA Information Policy Committee

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