Residential Telephone Service Survey February, 1998 [Canada]

The latest quarter of the Residential Telephone Service Survey was conducted by Statistics Canada in February 1998 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.

本住宅电话服务调查最新季度数据由加拿大统计局（Statistics Canada）于1998年2月开展，依托加拿大贝尔公司（Bell Canada）的协作与支持，作为劳动力调查（Labour Force Survey）的补充项目实施。加拿大贝尔公司与其他企业时常会同加拿大广播电视及电信委员会（Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission），就本地电话服务的资费定价方案展开磋商。由于无法界定某一价格区间是否具备可负担性，电话普及率是衡量资费负担能力最可靠的指标。因此，监测电话普及率的变化并分析未入网用户的成因，对于指导监管机构合理制定资费上调、下调或补贴相关决策具有重要指导意义。