OTTAWA – Nine days before the deadline, the Federal Cabinet rendered its decision in the appeal by AFX Communications of the CRTC decision with respect to reports and compensation for toll‑free calls over payphones, originally issued on December 20, 2019.
In that decision, the Commission directed Bell Canada to provide monthly reports for toll‑free calls made from AFX payphones connected to Bell Canada’s lines, and determined—based on a previous Commission order—that the applicable compensation rate is $0.25 per toll‑free call for lines other than pay telephone access lines. AFX argued that some calls should bear the tariff of $0.80.
AFX filed its petition to Cabinet on March 17, 2020.
- In August, Bell accused AFX of invoicing illegitimate toll-free calls and, subsequently, in its reply to the Commission, AFX indicated that it was ceasing operations.
- Later, in August, Bell went after another operator which also, allegedly, making the same type of call. The record on this application is closed and we are awaiting a CRTC decision.
- And to quote the Minister Bains, who signed the letter to AFX’s council, on December 11, at 5 p.m. “The matter has been carefully considered, and the Governor in Council will not intervene in regard to Telecom Decision CRTC 2019‑433.”
