Deferral Account: Bell Response to CRTC Letter

I received a reply dated 28 Sep 12 from Bell Canada, Regulatory Affairs concerning my letter to the CRTC about further delay in the Deferral Account roll-out  Background information about the letter is at this blog entry as well as the comments section.  The CRTC had directed Bell to respond to me not later than 08 Oct 12.

I have posted a copy of the most recent Bell Canada letter at this location.

The letter rehashes the submission Bell made to the CRTC in July of this year and indicates we can expect nothing in the way of Deferral Account implementation in the Algoma District until end August 2014.

A number of items in the letter caught my attention.

First, by admitting that the standard-speed wireless deployment products, which are  normally referred to as data hubs or HSPA+ broadband technology throughout this blog,  are fundamentally different than the Deferral Account product, it could be interpreted as an admission by Bell Canada  that the former do not meet the benchmark as a viable alternative to the traditional DSL or fibre based service.  Yet Bell is advertising and selling the product as a replacement or alternative service offering, especially in rural areas.  In other words, if one does not live in a Deferral Account area it will not get any better.

Second, I find it ironic that while Bell’s goal as stated in the letter “…is to offer the best possible Internet experience to all customers …” yet they not willing to adjust the rate on what they admit is an inferior product that “…is not technically designed to serve as a direct substitute…”.   In a logic that turns conventional thinking on its head, Bell implies that it cannot offer reduced rates because it is providing a poorer quality service.

I will continue to monitor the Deferral Account program to see where it goes from here.