Industry Committee on Dec. 2nd, 2024

[Mark Graham]

Our customers have included in the price of their TV service the primary set-top box, as well as access to our Fibe TV app. They may then choose to pay for additional set-top boxes, and I referred to the price of those set-top boxes previously.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Unlike Rogers, does Bell allow its customers to buy the boxes, the set-top boxes?

[Mark Graham]

I think that's a more complicated answer than I'm able to give you at this point, but I'd be happy to follow up with you in writing.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

So you don't know if Bell allows the purchase of the set-top boxes.

[Mark Graham]

I don't have that answer for you today, but I would be happy to follow up in writing.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

I'd like to thank you in advance for that.

Can you guarantee that this guarantee of price stability will be maintained?

You said that there had been no increase in five years. However, should we expect an increase in the future, even if you say the trend is downwards? Can you guarantee that this will not be the case?

[Mark Graham]

As I said, the clear overall trend for the prices of all our services is that they're declining. You can see what the prices associated with our set-top boxes have been over the last five years. I don't think I should publicly disclose our pricing plans with our competitors listening.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Still, Bell can reserve the right to increase prices for its services at any time during the duration of a contract.

Is that correct?

[Mark Graham]

Yes, that's the arrangement with our customers, and it's disclosed prominently on our website, in the customer's order confirmation, in the critical information summary that's mandated by the CRTC to be provided, and in the customer's contract.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

That's interesting. Go ahead, Mr. Savard‑Tremblay.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

We are in information retrieval mode to properly form an opinion on all of this.

Let's talk about some cases.

For example, in some areas, people remain loyal to the operator, not because they are satisfied with the price, which is sometimes exorbitant, but because it's the only operator that offers reliable coverage.

This is such a costly expense that some want the authorities to intervene to implement better solutions. In fact, one of the reasons we're conducting this study right now is that we've heard certain things and people have complained.

Do we really need to get the authorities to intervene? We're all in favour of self-regulation, if it works, but if it doesn't work, what should we do?

[Mark Graham]

In the case of our TV services, we've been rolling out our fibre network to bring competition to the existing cable companies. Across our Fibe TV footprint, customers have choices, and they exercise those choices every day in a highly competitive market.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Thank you.

Mr. Masse, you have the floor.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Staffieri, your company announced recently that the pay-as-you-go option is being terminated. Before, you had customers with $100 in pay-as-you-go. Now they have to be enrolled in a $25-a-month program.

Why did you do that?

[Tony Staffieri]

You're referring to our prepaid wireless offering, I believe.

What we've done is simplify the offering. We made it lower-cost, on average, by enabling much more digital and self-serve capability. For customers who previously had a prepaid balance, we offered, as part of the conversion, discounts that make up for the value they had on their prepaid card. They can come on for as low as five dollars a month to maintain that service.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

I have a case here. This one is $25 a month. I will follow this up, because you're now saying it could be five dollars.

This goes exactly to what I was questioning you about before. Apparently, it's ethically okay for some Rogers customers to get some benefit or reduction, and for others not to get it. They are now, in this system you have here, going to spend.... Twenty-five dollars per month has been offered, but you're saying you can get it for five dollars. I'm hoping that everybody hears this and understands that they can get this substitute for as little as five dollars. Still, that's more money than what they paid before.

I have another situation that has come in. This person writes that their daughter had Internet service with Rogers as a student. She ran into financial problems and the service was terminated in May 2024. Rogers continues to bill her monthly for the full amount of the service, equal to the amount she was paying prior to the termination of the service. She just received another bill for December 2024. The parent intervened on behalf of their daughter to dispute the bill and was transferred to several departments. The answer was that she still has to pay the full amount, despite everything they did. The dispute went to your legal department. They finally got a phone number, fax and so forth. Then the legal department hung up on them. They sent an email and tried the fax several times. The legal team has now actually blocked this customer you have here. Sir, here's another example of somebody who at least has an advocate trying to fight you, still.

How fair do you think it is that, again, that some customers are treated differently than others?

[Tony Staffieri]

I'm not familiar with the specific example you're quoting, in terms of what the facts are. I'm not sure I understand the question.

If I go back to the point that you made about the prepaid card, the amount of discount they get will vary depending on how much prepaid balance they have. That's why you get differences.

Certainly, the customer you referred to.... We would be very happy to work with that customer to look at what the issue is. On the most recent example you quoted, as I said, we really want to look into it. If you could provide those details, we will make sure we do the right thing for that customer.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you. I appreciate that. We'll follow up.

Telephone and Internet service is an essential service for Canadians. I think the departure we have here is that I believe everybody should be treated the same, especially since it's a public service. As Mr. Perkins noted at the beginning of this meeting, the public spectrum is auctioned off and used for this company's privilege. They get safe harbour from foreign investments and foreign competition. At the same time, we are sanctioning, as legislators, an abuse practice through the back door—letting Canadians be treated differently, depending on the corporate boardroom influence they have. Ethically, I have a problem with that, because I represent persons with disabilities, seniors and all kinds of different people who don't have the same strength, in terms of support in their life, to fight through this process.

I think that's something serious for this committee to really engage in, because we are sanctioning an abuse and a predatory practice against the Canadian public. These airwaves we own—the spectrum—are the public's, so it's not fair for these people to be treated differently by these companies.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Généreux, you have the floor.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses.

Mr. Staffieri, do you agree with me that a company's image is priceless?

[Tony Staffieri]

If I understood the question correctly, sir, our reputation means everything to us.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

That's perfect.

It took you five weeks to appear before the committee, which in itself shows a lack of respect, but in the case at hand, let's talk about the respect you have for your customers.

Since the CBC published this story, have you planned to offer credits to your customers who you overcharged by $7 for each additional item on their contract? Or do you feel that it's owed to you? According to the CBC, and according to your customers, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Are there any plans to credit your customers?

[Tony Staffieri]

Let me start off with, again, reiterating that I have the utmost respect for this committee and for the work that it does, and I'm pleased to be here today to answer your questions.

In respect of our set-top box price plan adjustments, as I said, we're working with customers who have concerns to look for alternatives that are going to fit their budgets based on that. The reality is, as I said earlier, the primary determinant for price plan changes, as in the case of these set-top boxes, is the cost inputs. Therefore—

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Okay.

[Tony Staffieri]

—as we provide more and more features to make our product better, the best in the marketplace, those come with costs in terms of investments.