Open letter to Anne Kennedy, Northwestel spokesperson, re increase in pay phone service:
The Utilities Consumers’ Group is not very pleased that we had to hear of the doubling of fees for public pay phone service through the media.
One could speculate that because your company has not had to appear before your regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, for several years that you’re now of the opinion you no longer have the obligation to consult with your ratepayers when deciding to raise fees.
This is not an appropriate way to do business in your communities.
As such, we would like to know how the decision for this fee increase was made and what type of logistics or demographics were used in this determination.
Utilities Consumers’ Group is concerned this increase may present a hardship for the young and the elderly who often rely on the pay phones to contact their relations and/or for northern residents in an emergency situation.
We expect Northwestel to monitor the effects of this decision very closely and make the necessary reversal if problems surface. We will also be notifying the CRTC of our concerns.
Roger Rondeau
Utilities Consumers’ Group
Whitehorse