Does anyone know what Bell is offering to former home phone customers in order to entice them to re-subscribe to home phone?

Thanks.

$19.95 home phone, as part of a bundle I believe. You can see the offer on Bell's website.

We just went back to Bell for phone service, we got $25 off a month for 6 months and $10 off the 24/7 LD plan for a year

Did Bell tell you about their extra charges, like the 2.80 touchtone fee, 911 fee, and Network Access fee, plus Visual Call Waiting counts as 2 features, so the 2 free features included which are Call Display and Visual Call Waiting are really 3 features, and you pay for the third feature extra. So in reality you are getting ding-ed so to speak. I also noticed Bells Unlimited North America LD plan is $24.95/month but Rogers Unlimited NA plan is $19.95/month, although Rogers also charges a Network Access fee.

NewDC. Some corrections to your post
Call Display + Call Waiting = Visual Call Waiting = 2 services. There is no extra charge.
Bells Unlimited LD plan has 46200 minutes which is more minutes than there are in a month. I believe Rogers unlimited plan still only has 3000 minutes.

Yes, there is a $2.80 touch tone charge and a $0.21 911 charge, but those two charges are always charged and quoted individually as per CRTC regulations.
Rogers also has a network fee and I believe you pay that even if you don't have LD.

Nem, who likes to clarify as much as possible

So i guess Bell will provide pulse service for those who don't want touch tone? LOL

The Touch Tone fee is mandatory, you cant refuse it.

I spoke to the Bell buyback team out of curiosity - they said the price they quoted me included all the fees (911, touchtone, etc.). Also you might want to be aware of the $3.00 rural fee depending where you are.

Also you might want to be aware of the $3.00 rural fee depending where you are.

That depends entirely on your rateband and is something that is again, regulated by the CRTC.

They've got their fingers everywhere I tell ya.


Nem, who thinks the CRTC is like the mafia

Wasn't Bell de-regulated back in the summer? How long will Bell continue to blame the CRTC even when it no longer responsible for approving rates and pricing policies?

A touch-tone fee or a rural access fee is no different from a network access fee when it becomes mandatory (I remember when touch-tone WAS optional). All such fees should be banished under truth-in-advertising consumer protection laws [and airlines should be forced to advertise all-in costs]. Can you imagine gasoline stations posting the price minus excise tax, GST, PST - I think it would be <$0.30 L. :)

Some portions of the CRTC regulations for ILEC's were removed. Not all.
As deregulation continues you will see more freedom, but for now, there are still a vast majority of things within the wireline industry relating to ILEC's that are regulated.

On that note, the fee is not a 'rural' fee. it is a cost for areas which have a higher cost of providing service (HCPS). This does not mean that it is limited to rural areas.

Wether an area is quantified as an HCPS is regulated by the CRTC, as is the pricing structure until such time as the service becomes 'foreborne' (deregulated)
Not all areas of Canada have become forborne. In order to put together packages or change charges for areas the ILEC's still have to ask the CRTC for permission in regulated areas, or for regulated products.
In some places, certain things are forborne, while others are not.
As I mentioned previously, if it's not forborne, the pricing structure is still regulated by the CRTC to some extent.
Also, 911 and touch tone service costs have to be mentioned as separate costs. As does the Network Charge that Bell charges. That is also regulated by the CRTC (the fact that it has to be mentioned seperately, not the dollar amount charged for the Network Charge)

Nem, who is filling in some information