Bell's pay phone price increases to 50 cents Saturday

[Narci]

When was the last time you used a pay phone?

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/200...-increase.html

As of Saturday, consumers will have to fish two quarters from their pockets to make a local call from a Bell pay phone.

'It would've been more of a measured response to the phone companies' calls for this to let them go up to 35 cents instead of straight up to doubling it.'
—John Lawford, Public Interest Advocacy CentreFor people using a credit card or a calling card, the cost will be $1. In Bell's request to the CRTC to increase the rate, the company noted that local pay phone rates have not gone up in 25 years. Bell said that with fewer consumers using pay phones, many of the units are not generating enough revenue to cover their replacement cost.

But John Lawford, legal counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, said the 100 per cent increase would be difficult on low-income Canadians.

"With the appearance of cellphones everybody says, just get a cellphone. But a lot of people can't afford them," Lawford told CBC.ca.

He said a more reasonable measure would have been a smaller increase, of 10 cents.

"It would've been more of a measured response to the phone companies' calls for this to let them go up to 35 cents instead of straight up to doubling it," he said.

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PIAC is considering conducting surveys on pay phone usage to put together a case asking the CRTC or the minister of telecommunications to reconsider the rate increase.

The CRTC in late April said it was creating new pricing rules for Bell Canada, Telus, SaskTel, MTS Allstream and Bell Aliant. Under the new plan, companies are allowed to raise pay phone service fees to 50 cents and increase prices for local phone services in rural areas.


Bell is raising its pay phone price to 50 cents, its first price increase in 25 years.
(CBC)
Bell submitted its request to raise pay phone prices on May 14 and the regulator approved the request on May 24.

Allison Vale, a Telus spokeswoman, said the company has no plans to increase its pay phone rates in the immediate future.

Meanwhile, Rogers Communications Inc. on Friday ended service for analog phones. The company announced in January that it would be closing down its TDMA and analog networks, moving all customers over to a digital network.

Digital service offers improved security transmission, longer battery life and text messaging and other enhanced features.

Analog and digital service are both offered by Rogers' competitors Bell Canada and Telus.

[MrDisco]

i think this is a reasonable rate increase. we know payphone use has decreased due to cellphones, so the cost to maintain and service them must have gone up. As well when was the last time payphones had a rate increase (vs other utilities like television, land lines, etc).

[Narci]

Hmm..I got an idea...why doesn't bell build a Large Area WiFi much like Hydro One's so that they can use VoIP onto the payphones AND sell wide area internet access?

It would be an awesome Idea. I wonder how many people would switch to Sympatico if they knew if for $5 more they can have wide area network alongside thier home internet access or something like that. I would switch if a company offered that service.

They could also offer it on thier cell phones rather then use GPRS or whatever the cell phone standard is for CDMA.

[josipm]

This just paves the way for them to increase the per minute rate on your cell phone!

[gei]

what's a "payphone"?

[GangStarr]

what's a "payphone"?

Damn you beat me to that comment.

I noticed in New York City its a per minute rate, particularly in areas like harlem.

[Paolo]

theres this one payphone in this warehouse building that my dad works for.. but its in a room that the lights dont work and sometimes they lock the door. It's also one of those really old skool pay phones that doesnt even eccept bell quickchange smart cards, I have a feeling that bell doesnt even know this payphone exists, so chances are, they wont replace it. Heck, my dad uses nickels to make calls on it because its so dumb it cant even tell the difference.

[winner2000]

I don't get one thing...is Bell going to send people to EVERY payphone to "modify" it for 50 cents instead of 25, or is there some easier way they can do it? Because if they do it one by one...well, that's a LOT of work.

[GangStarr]

I don't get one thing...is Bell going to send people to EVERY payphone to "modify" it for 50 cents instead of 25, or is there some easier way they can do it? Because if they do it one by one...well, that's a LOT of work.

Considering every modern pay phone has a screen that displays advertisment info and tells you how much a long distance call costs they can probably jack up the rate without actually visiting the booth.

Perhaps the old ones but thats about it.

[Badman]

but dont they still have to go and change the signs?

I don't exactly like this because for tourist it will make their life harder to find 2 quarters.

[infinite.chaoz]

what's a "payphone"?

LOL, ya, i thought those were clocks for people to lift the handle and see what time it is.

[MkmBandit]

Damn you beat me to that comment.

I noticed in New York City its a per minute rate, particularly in areas like harlem.

In most parts of the world its per minute. In UK its rediculous, something like 20pence for half a minute.

[gman]

theres this one payphone in this warehouse building that my dad works for.. but its in a room that the lights dont work and sometimes they lock the door. It's also one of those really old skool pay phones that doesnt even eccept bell quickchange smart cards, I have a feeling that bell doesnt even know this payphone exists, so chances are, they wont replace it. Heck, my dad uses nickels to make calls on it because its so dumb it cant even tell the difference.

So, nobody comes over to collect the coins??

[bubble.tea]

My cell is available for payphone useage.

[jyeung]

The payphones mostly in service these days are Quortech Millenniums, which can be remotely administered. The phones dial back to the Millennium Manager once a day or so and get their new settings - so rate changes are a breeze.

I actually have one of these things sitting in my basement right now - they're probably one of the most advanced payphones available.

- Jason