Survey Shows Canadians Rate The Value Of Their Telecommunication Services Higher Than Americans

Toronto, ON (April 18, 2001) - An Ipsos-Reid survey released today shows that Canadians are far more likely than Americans to say that the telecommunications service they receive for what they pay is of "very good" or "good" value. According to the survey results, Canadian consumers rate their traditional telephone services higher than Americans rate theirs, and they rank advanced telecommunications services (Internet and cellular) equal to those in the U.S.

More than 8 in 10 Canadians rate telecommunications in general, long-distance telephone service, local telephone service and call management features as either "very good" or "good," giving Canadian service providers higher marks than their American equivalent. The largest difference between the two countries is in long distance service, which 88% of Canadians rate as "very good" or "good" compared with 74% of Americans. The two countries received almost identical ratings from consumers on Internet and cellular services.

The survey -- conducted between February 9 and March 6, 2001 by Ipsos-Reid's Toronto technology division -- examined the views of a total of 2,012 consumers in North America: 1,012 Canadian adults and 1,000 American adults. The survey was sponsored by Bell Canada as part of its ongoing consumer research value for service tracking program, and has an associated margin of error in each country of 177 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

The detailed comparisons are as follows:

Service	Canada	U.S.
Telecommunications in General	87% (15% "very good", 72% "good")	79% (12% "very good", 67% "good")
Long Distance Telephone Services	88% (28% "very good",60% "good")	74% (18% "very good", 56% "good")
Local Telephone Service	86% (22% "very good", 64% "good")	76% (16% "very good", 61% "good")
Call Management Features	83% (27% "very good", 56% "good")	77% (22% "very good", 55% "good")
Cellular Phone Service	73% (16% "very good", 57% "good")	72% (15% "very good", 57% "good")
Internet Services	81% (25% "very good", 57% "good")	81% (22% "very good", 59% "good")

"It is interesting to note that all regions of Canada consistently rate the value of their traditional telecommunications services higher than their American neighbours," said Chris Ferneyhough, Vice- President, Information Technology and Telecommunications, Ipsos-Reid. "Even with respect to advanced services such as Internet and cellular where we find some regional distinctions, as a nation, Canada still compares favorably to the U.S."

Regional Highlights:

Within Canada, Quйbecers are most likely to say that their telecommunications in general are "very good" or "good" (90%) and that their Internet services are "very good" or "good" (84%).

Ontario residents rank long distance services (85% "very good" or "good") the highest among the six categories surveyed. Atlantic Canadians, on the other hand, rank local telephone service (93% "very good" or "good") the highest among these six categories.

Western Canadians rank their cellular service differently depending on which province they live in - with 86% of Albertans giving a ranking of "very good" or "good" for their cellular service compared to just 66% of British Columbia residents giving a ranking of "very good" or "good" for their cellular service.

(Note: The six categories that were evaluated were: telecommunications in general, local telephone service, long-distance telephone services, call management features (such as call answer, call waiting, call display), cellular phone service and Internet services.

Only those consumers who actually utilize specific service categories were questioned about the perceived value of the service they receive for the money they pay. As a result, the margin of error on sub-sample categories will likely be larger. )

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Chris Ferneyhough
Vice- President
Information Technology and Telecommunications
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900