Other PIAC Documents

1. The following comments are submitted on behalf of the Consumers' Association of Canada, the National Anti-Poverty Organization, and l'Union des consommateurs (“the Consumer Groups”, previously “ARCetal”), pursuant to the above-mentioned Public Notice.

Re: Follow-up to Decision CRTC 2002-34

Subject of Dispute: Terms of Service regarding disconnection of basic local service for non-payment of toll or other non-tariffed charges Dispute Initiator: Philippa Lawson, PIAC/NAPO Date: June 26, 2002

The following comments are submitted on behalf of Action Réseau Consommateur, Fédération des associations coopératives d'économie familiale du Québec, and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (“ARC et al”) on the issues in the above-mentioned public notice, taking into account the submissions and interrogatory responses filed by other parties.

THE END OF (TRADITIONAL) REGULATION? A RESPONSE TO PROFESSOR RICHARD SCHULTZ

By now, few of us have not been exposed to the visionary rhetoric that has accompanied the dawning of the so-called information age. Fortunately there is no amount of cynicism engendered by the hype surrounding the Information Highway that can fully extinguish the sense of awe that most of us have when we contemplate the potential of the new communications technologies. On a worldwide basis, these technologies are establishing an infrastructure that is transforming the way we do business and, to a large extent, the way we live.

The Canadian telecommunications industry has undergone dramatic changes during the last decade – changes in technology, market structure and regulatory regime. The CRTC has opened virtually all markets (local and long distance) to competition, has forborne from regulating companies where sufficient competition exists (e.g., long distance, terminal sets), and has completely revamped the regulatory regime applicable to those companies now facing the prospect of local competition.

PRESENTATION TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY ON BILL C-17: AN ACT TO AMEND THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT AND THE TELEGLOBE CANADA REORGANIZATION AND DIVESTITURE ACT