New phone rates, services pondered
Northwestel Inc. is considering jacking up its rates, but is also investigating ways to improve services for northern customers.
Northwestel Inc. is considering jacking up its rates, but is also investigating ways to improve services for northern customers.
A review has been initiated by the Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) into Northwestel's regulatory framework.
The CRTC will review pricing on services such as telephone access and calling features.
If its proposal goes through, residences and businesses can expect their monthly rates to rise by $2 a month.
This would be the first rate change in the last five years.
"We're looking into the future a little bit,” Emily Younker, the company's new manager of corporate communications, said today.
She pointed out that Northwestel currently has a monopoly on northern communications, but is preparing for the possibility of local and long distance competition.
"We're opening up the field,” said Younker.
According to the proposal, Northwestel could reduce the per-minute rate that long distance competitors would pay to use its network for their long distance toll traffic.
They would also allow a customer's phone number to be moved from one service provider to another if another service provider wanted to offer local services to the community.
Northwestel is also initiating a service improvement plan which, if approved, could provide enhanced calling features like call display to the remaining communities in the Far North that currently do not have them.
It's also considering replacing facilities in the Upper Halfway region of northern B.C.
A subsidy called the National Contribution Fund could go toward supporting these projects.
A public hearing on the process will be held in Yellowknife on Oct. 4.
Younker could not estimate when these services would come into effect, and said everything is up to the CRTC.
"They do their work, and then they let us know,” she said.
Interested parties can visit the Northwestel offices in Whitehorse at 301 Lambert St.
Whitehorse residents can also submit comments, complaints and requests on the CRTC's website or by writing to the Secretary General.
Written comments must be received by Sept. 2.
Comments (25)
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Bill barber on Aug 5, 2011 at 11:42 am
I own a majic-jack works fine everywhere except for the north,Now thats a monopoly!
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Max Mack on Aug 5, 2011 at 10:27 am
I can't help but doubt that complaints to the CRTC will achieve anything positive for Yukoners who feel they are being badly cheated with their phone, internet and cable services.
The politicians are quiet now that the election is over, and the CRTC is just putting on some window dressing.
The CRTC allows Northwestel a virtual monopoly, and allows it to price its products in a way that boggles the mind. For all those that like to trot out the "remote-provider" and "small market" arguments, I would like to remind you that Northwestel (and, by extension, Bell) has been given BILLIONS in direct and indirect subsidies by government over the years.
Yukoners ARE being gouged and our internet service does not meet expectations.
$95 per month for internet?
$10 per GB for EVERY GB over the cap?
Who audits Northwestel's calculations of bandwidth usage? Anyone? Or, is the fox guarding the henhouse?
Besides a MULTITUDE of throttling practices, what other questionable activities does Northwestel engage in that we know nothing about?
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bobby bitman on Aug 5, 2011 at 12:01 am
Though I am satisfied with NWTel on the whole, on the other side, I do hear from a couple of people I know who work for NWTel that there is a lot of dead wood that could be cut in that company before they go looking for rate increases from customers. It sounds to me that they need stronger supervisory skills at Northwestel, and back up from upper management and throughout the company to deal with the people who are not there to work, but to be baby sat through life while collecting a healthy pay check.
I wish the dissatisfied co-workers would all step forward and talk openly about this, but maybe it is not so different from most offices in the Yukon, other than private business. I do not consider monopolies to have the same standards as other private businesses in terms of demanding performance of their own employees. How can this be changed? From this standpoint, I do have a problem with Northwestel simply raising their rates to cover more expenses.
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Francias Pillman on Aug 4, 2011 at 8:49 am
It's attitudes like that bobby, that facilitate us getting ripped off even more. $2 is not much, but where does it end? Has the service increased? Nope. $2 here, $0.50 there adds up to millions of dollars. I'm glad you like northwestel, because you are one of a very few. They are subsidized with our tax dollars Bobby. What business do they have coming and asking for more money for BS reasons that anyone with an intellilect can see is false. On top of more money from us, they want more from Ottawa. You support that? We need competition, it's as simple as that. And the only positive I see from all the southerns coming up here is the chance we might get our wish of competition. Because people from big city's are used to having a choice, not being dictated to and paying ridiculous rates. In turn hopefully more people start complaining so we can escape the death grip from this monopoly.
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bobby bitman on Aug 4, 2011 at 6:31 am
Okay, I have to wade in here to say that a) I am happy with my northwestel service (home phone and basic internet 'high speed light'). I am being charged $92 a month which includes the phone, internet, call display and a long distance plan. Two dollars more means nothing to me and the article says they have not put rates up for a few years, so fair is fair.
Previously we were using Galaxy satellite internet and if you want a NIGHTMARE!! try disconnecting your service with them! They are totally unnaccountable and will route you through quite a maze, putting you off and not cancelling your payments.
Northwestel is local and accountable despite having a monopoly. I like them, and I do not work for them, never have and neither does anyone related to me or living with me.
I just think the tone of this thread is getting a little overboard.
Go ahead and throw your tomatos if you must.
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Garcia's middle finger on Aug 4, 2011 at 3:39 am
So, if internet service isn't regulated, does that not leave the door open for non-profit groups, community associations, municipalities and governments to supply free wireless internet?
Just kidding about "governments". It would probably amount to political suicide for any politician to stand up to NWTel's membership.
Where profits are determined by rate of return on investment:
Larger company and greater expenses = Larger profits and more employees they have influence over in order to resist political change.
Seems that mainstream political parties all support monopolies. Conservatives and Liberals favour investors and the New Democrats favour unions.
Yes, membership has its rewards and we all know who gets to pay the price.
Regarding cell phone competition, why is it that the only non-affiliated NWTel competitor (Ice Wireless) was able to survive in Yellowknife and not Whitehorse?
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Northwestel is bleeding us dry on Aug 3, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Here's an idea, why don't all of us (meaning basically the entire public) contact every canadian internet, phone, etc... service provider and beg them to come here. Maybe they'll finally realize there is a market screaming for them and they'll come push northwestel out.
Also I love francias' post for lodging a complaint. I think we should all go that route as well because we are seriously getting hosed for services that are sub par at the best of times.
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marg on Aug 3, 2011 at 8:23 am
Northwestel Inc is a joke. To the outside markets... PLEASE COME TO THE YUKON, i would switch instantly to your services and leave nwtel in the dust. We are getting so ripped off up here
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john jack on Aug 3, 2011 at 5:44 am
We have dropped nwt a long time ago. Our cell phones are a lot cheaper threw bc with the long distance plan. Skype is better also. People will learn pretty fast your not wanted or needed!!!!
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anonymous on Aug 2, 2011 at 7:32 am
Marilyn Stebner obviously works for Northwestel or has family that does. As soon as something else comes along (and it will...they can't keep the competition out forever) I am dropping Northwestel so fast...!
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140 bucks a month & not happy on Aug 2, 2011 at 7:17 am
So It turns out Marilyn Stebner works for Northwestel. So Marilyn, Please tell us where else we can get a landline with internet...
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Lisa on Aug 2, 2011 at 5:24 am
bring on the competition! I will gladly try someone else besides Northwestel! Bring it on!
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Francias Pillman on Aug 1, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Hi Marilyn. We are so sorry for complaining. What were we thinking? You are right, instead of complaining, I'm taking my business elsewhere. Oh wait. There is nowhere else. Your comment is so ridiculous that it does'nt even deserve a response from anyone.
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Stella on Jul 30, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Marilyn, You may want to get your facts straight. There are no other options to northwestel. It's the only phone/internet/cable tv service in the Yukon. They have a monopoly.
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Marilyn Stebner on Jul 29, 2011 at 11:58 pm
All you people that are complaining about the price or service of Northwestel, use something else. You are not forced to use Northwestel, as you list in your complaints. And by the way there are hundreds of people who use conference calls, so get your facts straight before you comment.
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Groucho d'North on Jul 29, 2011 at 2:02 pm
If NWTel is actually revisiting the CAT rate, I hope it is to a level that is not higher from the norm in the rest of Canada, so legitimate competition can be brought into this market. Call forwarding and the similar cost-plus features are pure gravy for the telco and are not reflective of basic telephone services in this context.
I also believe any tariff increase approval should be directly tied to a new and better standard of service so we consumers get some benefit in quality if not in cost. And be aware this is strictly for basic phone service, Internet is not regulated by the CRTC...or anybody, so don't get your hopes up for any improvement by NWTel in that regard.
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JC on Jul 29, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Michel Dupont: Download Skype on your computer - its a free download. For just less then $30.00 per year, you can make all the long distance phone calls you want 24/7 with unlimited time. Just buy a phone head set(aprox. 30 bucks) plug in and enjoy. You can also call anyone else Skype to Skype free. Its amazing how Northwestel who knows all this can still try gouging the public. Talk about 1898 gold rush mentality!
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Francias Pillman on Jul 29, 2011 at 11:44 am
File a complaint now. Stop complaining on the internet and actually do something people. Because I am.
Contact the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services
email: info@ccts-cprst.ca
mail: P.O. Box 81088, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1B1
toll-free telephone: 1-888-221-1687
toll-free TTY: 1-877-782-2384
fax: 1-877-782-2924
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Francias Pillman on Jul 29, 2011 at 11:41 am
Stand up now people. Or this will continue to get worse. I'm sick and tired of this B.S. For a phone I hardly use and internet it's about $130/month. How about you cut costs internally. Oh wait that takes actual skill. Raising everyone's rates constantly takes intelligence of a 5 year old, anyone can do it. Show us some respect. WAKE UP PEOPLE.
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June Jackson on Jul 29, 2011 at 12:58 am
This is a ludicrous application. Video conferencing is done across the internet, teleconferencing is offered free from companies on the internet, or Global which charges 6c a minute..in any event much cheaper than Northwestel, and yet, that's their bid to gouge more money out of consumers? How many consumers are using northwestel teleconferencing? This is what happens when a monopoly gets total control and its sole motivation is greed. In big business.. there is no such thing as enough. They have no soul.
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Michel Dupont on Jul 29, 2011 at 12:57 am
You cannot justify raising your rates.
And as far as improving services, about giving Tintina Subdivision, which has about 25 residents along with Faro Airport which saw an increase of 400% in traffic, access to High Speed Internet. By the way, Faro airport is the ONLY airport in the Territory without High Speed internet connection. Wouldn't that be a start. Before you think of improving a service, don't you have to start by offering it? And what about offering discounts that count? Like during respectable hour slots for discount that would allow us, Yukoners to make a call back east before everyone there goes to bed? For the past 17 years, when I call my relatives, they hang up on me and call me right back, because no matter what time of the day it is, they pay between .03 to .10 cents a minute. If Northwestel can't handle the large area they are "serving", then they should open the doors to competition.
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Josey Wales on Jul 28, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Hey more good news from the NWTel regime! My conference calls will be cheaper...should I ever have one?
At present I only pay $140.00/mth for a basic basic phone...and the best cup and string they offer for ADSL.
Is that too much? My telephone line gets random static...my string gets cut often severing my connection to my bio-degradable cup the data flows through...and often even when the string is not cut...there seems to be, like a knot or two in the string as the data speed matches land claims.
I think they should increase the costs by 40-60% then they could buy better string that knots less ...and my telephone would not sound like it was just a recent invention.
Just because my annual costs for having a inter-net line/phone are hundreds of dollars more than my home AND auto insurance...surely we could suck it up to %'s recommend?
I mean really...$196-224 isn't really that much. After-all they have to operate in such a harsh land mass with a size comparable...to company profits ...HUGE.
If the C(orperate)R(evenue)T(rough)C(olaberators)...buy this scam?
...as per?...KaChing NWTel.
For those whom cannot afford their CURRENT rates...they should offer a telegraph option for say $30.00/mth.
I'll start practicing now...
_._. ._. _ _ _ _ _ _ _._ ...
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Stella on Jul 28, 2011 at 10:57 am
They would also allow a customer's phone number to be moved from one service provider to another if another service provider wanted to offer local services to the community.
Phone companies have to allow this in Canada, it's not even an option. Let us all pray that other companies will free us from the stranglehold Northwestel has on the Yukon. We have the highest phone, internet and cable rates in North America and top ten in the world!
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JC on Jul 28, 2011 at 10:08 am
And just what kind of benefits is this monopoly telephone company going to give us? From what I read, nothing really. As far as long distance, I have used Skype for several years. Much better - and less expensive. Maybe thats why Northwestel is increasing their rates, they're losing money to Skype. But of course, they won't admit it.
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Joel on Jul 28, 2011 at 9:10 am
Wow, this would be the push to get me to dump my landline service and simply deal with my cell.
Funny, I always thought competition made companies work harder with lower rates. Northwestel has been the only provider in town for so long that they forgot this.