Residential Telephone Service Survey February, 1999 [Canada]

The latest quarter of the Residential Telephone Service Survey was conducted by Statistics Canada in February 1999 with the cooperation and support of Bell Canada as a supplement to the Labour Force Survey. Bell Canada and other companies are from time to time negotiating local service pricing options for phone rates with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission. Penetration rates are the most reliable indicator of affordability as there is no price range that can be identified as affordable or not affordable. As a result, the importance of monitoring any changes in phone penetration rates and analysing the reasons for non-subscribers is necessary to properly guide regulators in decisions about rate increases, decreases or subsidies.加拿大统计局（Statistics Canada）于1999年2月开展了最新一期住宅电话服务季度调查，该调查作为劳动力调查（Labour Force Survey）的补充项目，得到加拿大贝尔公司（Bell Canada）的协作与支持。加拿大贝尔公司及其他相关企业时常与加拿大广播电视及电信委员会（Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission）就本地电话资费的定价方案进行磋商。电话普及率（penetration rates）是衡量资费可负担性的最可靠指标，因并无明确的价格区间可界定为可负担或不可负担。故此，监测电话普及率的变动趋势并剖析未入网用户的成因，对于指导监管机构科学制定资费上调、下调或补贴相关决策具有重要意义。