Consumer Charter for A Connected Canada

CONSUMER CHARTER FOR A CONNECTED CANADA
WHEREAS telecommunications is an essential service for Canadians, and is increasingly essential to the social and economic well*being of Canada and its regions;
WHEREAS telecommunications has replaced postal service as the primary method of distance communication in Canada, with the same need for equitable and affordable access;
WHEREAS “to render reliable and affordable telecommunications services of high quality accessible to Canadians in both urban and rural areas in all regions of the country” is a key policy objective set out by Parliament in s.7 of the Telecommunications Act;
WHEREAS on June 12, 1998, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Information Highway Ministers of Canada recognized that “access to the Information Highway in rural and remote areas, at affordable prices and service levels reasonably comparable to those in urban areas, is a fundamental goal of economic and social policy”;
WHEREAS many rural Canadians continue to lack affordable access to high quality telecommunications services;
WHEREAS the introduction of competition in all aspects of telecommunications has rendered impossible the historic subsidy from urban business and long distance revenues to rural local rates, making an explicit subsidy scheme necessary;
BE IT AFFIRMED THAT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE:
THAT the benefits of competition should flow to all Canadians, through a mandated subsidy designed to support affordable rates and high quality service in rural and remote areas;
THAT all Canadians have access to a defined set of basic telecommunications services, including, but not limited to, private telephone service, flat rates for local calling, and local access to the Internet at speeds that meet contemporary standards;
THAT the definition of “basic service” be reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis, through a public process;
THAT minimum quality standards for basic service be enforced through the use of regulatory incentives and penalties;
THAT the price of basic telecommunications service be affordable to all Canadian households; and
THAT rural rates be comparable to urban rates for the same service and that the quality of service in rural areas be comparable to that in urban areas.
DATE: November 3, 1998
Group Signatories to the “Consumer Charter for a Connected Canada” as of January 20, 1999

• ACEF Amiante*Beauce*Etchemins

• ACEF de Granby

• ACEF de l’Est de Montréal

• ACEF de Lanaudiere

• ACEF de l’Outaouais

• ACEF de la Peninsule

• ACEF des Bois Francs

• ACEF du Grand Portage

• ACEF du Nord de Montréal

• ACEF du Sud*Ouest de Montréal

• ACEF du Grand Portage

• Action Réseau Consommateur

• ADQR des Moulins

• ADQR section Brandon

• AFEAS ST*Cuthbert

• AFEAS ST*Jean*Baptiste

• Alberta Council on Aging

• APIC Cote*Nord

• AQDR Ste*Melanie

• Assistance aux femmes de Montréal

• Assoc. Québecoise de Defense des Droits des Retraites et

• Assoc. des pers. Handicapees phys. et sensorielles, secteur

• Assoc. des Familles Monoparentales et Recomposees “La

• Association Coopérative d’économie familiale (ACEF)

• Association de la sclerose en plaques de Lanaudiere

• asynchrOne, Montreal

• B.C. Community Networks Association

• B.C. Coalition for Information Access

• B.C. Old Age Pensioners’ Organization

• Canada’s Coalition for Public Information

• Canadian Federation of Students

• Canadian Pensioners Concerned, Nova Scotia

• Carrefour d’Entraide Drummond

• Centre Petite Enfance Belle*Bulle

• Centre des Femmes de la MRC du Granit

• Centre communautaire du Vieux*Manège

• Centre Residentiel Correctionnel La Maison (Corporation)

• Centre d’action benevole Leonie Belanger

• Chisasibi Telecommunications Association

• Cible Famille Brandon inc.

• CIRCCO Charlevoie*Ouest

• Comite regional d’educ. pour le develop.international de

• Commission scolaire de la Baie*James

• Communaute urbaine de Québec

• Confederation des syndicats nationaux (CSN)

• Consumers’ Association of Canada (Manitoba)

• Consumers’ Association of Canada

• Cooperative de services multiples de Lanaudiere

• Corporation de Developpement Communautaire des Deux*Rives

• Corporation de Developpement Communautaire Nicolet*Yamaska

• Corporation de Developpement Communautaire de Longueuil

• Corporation municipale de St*Barthelemy

• Corporation municipale de St*Cleophas de Brandon

• Corporation municipale St*Norbert, Paroisse

• Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of B.C.

• Cree Nation of Chisasibi

• Cree Nation of Mistissini

• Cree Nation of Nemaska

• CRIC de Port*Cartier

• End Legislated Poverty, Vancouver B.C.

• Entr’Elles Granby inc.

• Entraide Benevole des Pays*d’en*Haut

• Federated Anti*Poverty Groups of B.C.

• Federation des Unions de Familles

• Federation des Associations de Familles Monoparentales et

• Federation des Associations Cooperatives d’Economie Familiale

• First Nation of Namaska

• Fisheries Institute of Nova Scotia

• Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec / Cree Regional Authority

• Green Party of Canada

• Groupe de Recherche en Animation et Planification Economique

• James Bay Cree Communications Society

• La maison de la famille

• La maison de la famille La Parenthese

• La Cle sur la Porte, Maison d’hebergement pour femmes

• Le Vaissequ d’Or des Moulins

• Le Centre Populaire De Roberval

• Le reseau comm. D’aide aux alcooliques et autres toxicomanes

• Maison d’hebergement L’Oree de Pabos

• Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak

• Manitoba Society of Seniors

• MRC de Beauharnois*Salaberry

• MRC de la Vallee*de*la*gatineau

• MRC de Migamie

• MRC de la Mitis

• MRC de Maskinonge

• MRC de la Haute*Cote*Nord

• MRC de Charlevoix*Est

• MRC de Temiscamingue

• MRC de la Haute*Yamaska

• MRC Denis*Riverain

• MRC des Basques

• MRC du Bas*Richelieu

• MRC du Haut*Richelieu

• MRC du Nicolet*Yamaska

• MRC du Granit

• Municipalite de Saint*Jean*De*Matha

• Municipalite de Saint*Didace

• Municipalite de Sainte*Elisabeth

• Municipalite de Saint*Jacques

• Municipalite de Mc Watters

• Municipalite de Montbeillard

• Municipalite de Centon de Bergeronnes

• Municipalite de Saint*Charles*Borromee

• Municipalite de Saint*Charles de Mandeville

• Municipalite de Paroisee de L’Epiphanie

• Municipalite de Notre*Dame*des*Prairies

• Municipalite de St*Joseph de Clericy

• Municipalite de Saint*Gabriel de Brandon

• Municipalite de Notre*Dame*De*La*Merci

• Municipalite de Ste*Emilie*de*L’Energie

• Municipalite de Bellecombe

• Municipalite de Saint*Damien

• Municipalite de Rollet

• Municipalite de Notre*Dame*de*Lourdes

• Municipalite de Saint*Thomas

• Municipalite de Saint*Roch*Ouest

• Municipalité de St*Joseph de Clericy

• Municipalité de Montbeillard

• Municiplaite de Sainte*Beatrix

• National Anti*Poverty Organization

• Netchako Access Network Organization, B.C.

• North Caribou Community Skills Centre, B.C.

• Option Consommateurs

• Public Interest Advocacy Centre

• Regroupement des Usagers du Transport Adapte du Sherbrooke

• Regroupement des Aidants Naturels de Granby

• Regroupement des Femmes de la Region de Matane

• RougeNet

• Saskatchewan Association of Community Networks

• Senior Citizens, Association of B.C.

• Service Budgetaire Populaire de St*Felicien

• Soeurs de la Congregation de Notre*Dame

• Syndicat de la Fonction Publique

• Tatlyoko Think Tank, B.C.

• Tenants’ Rights Action Coalition, Vancouver, B.C.

• Transport adapte Vas*Y inc.

• Vancouver Community Network

• Ville de Berthierville

• Ville de Legardeur

• Ville de Cadillac

• Ville de Rouyn*Noranda

• Ville de Dolbeau*Mistassini

• Ville de Cadillac

• Ville de Roberval

• Waswanipi Communications Society

• West End Seniors’ Network