CRTC Communications Monitoring Report 2014

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released information on the telecommunications sector from the 2014 Communications Monitoring Report on 25 Sep 2014.

This is an annual report covering multiple aspects of the Canadian  broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. The report is filled with data and statistic that only a nerd could love. Nevertheless it does contain some gems of wisdom which may be of use and interest to readers of this blog.

One striking  statistic is the huge  increase in the average GB downloaded and uploaded per residential Internet subscriber between 2012 and 2013. Only a few years ago the total were in the range of 12.3 GB (2008) and 14.8 GB (2010). These are the latest figures:

	2012	2013	Annual Growth (%)
Average GB Download	28.4	44.8	57.7
Average GB Upload	5.4	6.0	11.0
Average Total GB Per Month	33.8	50.8

                        (Source: CRTC 2014 Communications Monitoring Report - Table 5.3.0)

One can only expect this trend to continue as the use of video and audio streaming to deliver Internet content continues to expand. Another source of data increase are constant software updates that may require repeated downloading of the same material for each appliance attached through the same modem or hub. For example if you have four computers in a residence, which is not uncommon, the infamous Microsoft Tuesday updates are downloaded four times and each download counts against your data cap.

The report contains figures that some users may find useful.   They show how long it takes in hours for a specific application to use up a monthly data cap. 

For example, a wireline connection watching Netflix at a "low"setting can use up a 100GB cap in  263 hours. Increase the Netflix setting to "Super HD" and the 100GB cap is reached in 91 hours.

For mobile broadband (data hub or smartphone) connections which usually have a lower cap and slower speed than a wireline connection the figures differ. For Netflix in "Auto" mode a 5GB cap is reached in 14 hours while You Tube in "HD-720p" mode a 5GB cap is reached in 4.2 hours. (Note: these are only examples and actual usage rates may vary but not substantially.) 

The original version of these figures can be found in the CRTC Monitoring Report, pages 189 and 190. The report is in .pdf format so the figures can be enlarged. (The figures below can be enlarged by using Ctrl-Plus sign and returned to the previous size by using Ctrl-Minus Sign.)

Number of usage hours before typical wireline broadband capacity thresholds are reached, by service

(Source: CRTC 2014 Communications Monitoring Report - Table 5.3.11)

Number of usage hours before typical mobile broadband capacity thresholds are reached, by service

 (Source: CRTC 2014 Communications Monitoring Report - Table 5.3.12)

Deferral Account Marketing Material

Have all the Deferral Account areas' potential users  received their direct mail marketing material from Bell yet? 

I am also interested if anyone living outside the areas shown on these maps received a direct mail brochure.

Deferral Account Marketing Flyer

The Bell marketing flyer for the Deferral Account plan or the Bell Wireless Internet 5 (BWI5) in Bell-speak arrived in my mailbox today. It had my full mailing address on the front. This fact comes into play when identifying eligibility for the BWI5 package; see more below.

The marketing flyer had a website link as www.bell.ca/betterspeeds and a phone number as 1-866-809-7060.

The website is nearly identical to the marketing flyer. One difference is the marketing flyer has the following note printed on it:

“Available to the recipient of this letter with the identical address.”

As indicated in previous blog entries, if you received a marketing flyer in your mailbox, you are definitely eligible for BWI5.If you do not receive a marketing flyer within a week or so, you may have a challenge on your hands. 

I found it interesting the Bell is targeting Xplornet as the competition in this marketing campaign.

The marketing flyer does state that an "External antenna is required." However there is no reference as to whether or not there is a cost for the external antenna. 

I had my external antenna installed today and there was no charge for either the antenna hardware or the installation. 

Deferral Account Price Structure from Bell Mobility

I have now received additional clarification from Bell Mobility concerning he Deferral Account program  plan price structure. 

Ms. Rose Tacconelli,  a Bell Mobility Consumer Direct Sales Help Desk & Escalations Supervisor provided the information.

A major revision of a number of the Bell Mobility rate plans in the July and August this year lead to confusion amongst the staff which resulted in the wide range of responses received from the Customer Service Representatives (CSR), particularly the Overage Insurance coverage costs.[1]

Bell Mobility calls the Deferral Account price plan “Bell Wireless Internet 5.” It can be ordered by calling 1-866-466-2453 (auto answer options 1,1,1)

Details of the plan are listed below. None of this information is available on the Bell.ca website.:

It is available on a 2 year term or on a 30 day term.

·         -  2 year term the price plan will cost $41.95 per month or $37.95 per month with the Bell Bundle [2]

·         - 30 day term the price plan will cost $36.95 per month or $32.95 per month with the Bell Bundle

The plan includes:

·         20 GB in basic plan

·         $4/GB for data over the basic 20 GB

·         Optional add-on $10/20 GB (This option is the so-called insurance. If you take this option you will be billed each month regardless of the amount data used.)  

·         Speeds up to 5Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload

·         No activation fee for 2 year term

·         $29.95 activation fee on 30 day term

·         $79.95 for the Turbo Hub on a 2 year term

·         $199.95 for the Turbo Hub on a 30 day
-      Includes an external antenna installed by Bell contractor at no charge.

If you run into problems ordering the plan, call Ms. Tacconelli. She normally works Monday to Friday 09:00 am to 5:00 pm. Her direct phone number is 905-282-3587. (Unfortunately, she does not have a toll free direct number.) She will ensure you are connected with a CSR who has received additional training on the Deferral Account plan. If necessary leave a message. I found she is very good about getting calls returned.

---

[1] The situation was exacerbated by the fact Bell Internet, a separate division from Bell Mobility, has a different set of Overage Insurance offerings that does include the $5.00 for 25 GB option.   (The fact that Bell Mobility and Bell Internet have completely different sets of overage rates is a separate discussion.)

[2] Only one Bell Mobility item allowed per bundle. i.e. you cannot have both a Bell Mobility smartphone and a Bell Mobility data hub in the bundle.

Bell Fixed Wireless Coverage in SSM and Elsewhere

Bell has expanded its Fixed Wireless Internet (FWI) service to include the Sault Ste. Marie (SSM) area.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT SERVICE FROM THE DEFERRAL ACCOUNT SERVICE.

The Bell FWI service operates in the LTE 2.3/3.5 GHz range. It provides high-speed Internet access with up to 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. It uses a 4G LTE Huawei B2268H Wireless Router that has an external unit and an interior unit.The basic monthly rate is $65.00 excluding taxes

The monthly data cap is 10 GB with overages set at $10 per GB.  There is also a one-time installation charge of $99.00. 
( As noticed 24 Jul 2015,  data caps and one-time installation charges are no longer identified on the  webpage.) 

This is the projected coverage area for SSM.

Other areas in the Algoma District getting this service to date are Elliot Lake and Iron Bridge/Blind River

Antenna Installation for Deferral Account 17 Sep 2014

Just received a call this morning from the Crossover representative and made arrangements to install my DA antenna next week. 

First positive news in weeks. 

He said he had another 8 orders to date for installs in the area.

Bell Letter to CRTC Confirms DA Completion

The plot thickens.

On 29 Aug 2014 Bell submitted a report to the CRTC indicating they completed the Deferral Account implementation program effective that date.

Bell addressed the report to Mr. John Traversy, Secretary General, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The report was signed for Bell by Jonathan Daniels, Vice President - Regulatory Law.

The letterhead indicated Bell and not Bell Mobility. The corporate name Bell Canada is used throughout.

Bell provided an abridged version of the submission for the public record and the CRTC posted a copy on their website. The information Bell considered proprietary or competitive in nature is redacted in the abridged version. Only information from the abridged public record version is cited here.

The first paragraph of the report reads as follows: (Highlights added by me.)

“We are pleased to confirm that as of 29 August 2014, the rollout of broadband services under our deferral account-funded broadband program to the remaining 43 communities identified in our 15 July 2014 status report has been completed.  Bell Canada has thus completed its rollout of the Deferral Account-Funded Broadband Program as all 112 of the communities that were approved for inclusion in this program are now served.”

In case there was any doubt about the report’s subject, a footnote on page 2 states:

“For the sake of clarity, we note that the broadband services we refer to are the services we committed to provide in the communities that are part of our deferral account-funded program.”

Bell uses the term broadband services throughout the letter and also refers to these services as the “deferral account-funded broadband program”.

One would think when an organization responsible for a program claims to “completed its rollout” of a service or product, it means it is available to the users. This does not seem to be the case with this product based on the wide range of information, often negative, provided by the various Bell CSRs.

Based on the information in this letter to the CRTC, it hardly seems reasonable that Bell can continue to deny knowledge of the Deferral Account program.