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| Active Member : An Active Member is an incumbent Independent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC). |
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Our active membership consists of 21 Independent Local Exchange Carriers who provide their communities with state of the art telecommunication services to the world.
Read more about our active membership:
- Small, Community-based companies
- Quality Local Phone Service
- Independents Play a Significant Role
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| Small, Community-based companies |
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Having provided telephone service since the early 1900s, Ontario's Independents are, without exception, cornerstones of the rural and northern communities. Typically, these community-based enterprises are small, high technology companies that are major employers in their service areas.
The telecommunications industry association that represents Independent Local Exchange Carriers in the Province of Ontario is the Ontario Telecommunications Association (OTA). Currently the OTA represents twenty of the twenty-nine Independent local exchange carriers in Ontario.
Collectively, OTA members employ 500 rural and northern Ontarians and the companies have invested over $188 million in telecommunications infrastructure.
Our members offer the full range of telecommunications services: from wired and wireless local telephone service, to the Internet and other advanced information technologies.
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| Quality Local Phone Service |
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The Ontario Independents are providers of basic local service and optional local services such as call display and call answer to both business and residential customers. They provide their approximate 150,000 customers with a full range of local telecommunications services from digital phone service, to Internet, wireless, and advanced information systems services. Independent local exchange carriers provide access to long distance service for their customers through interconnection with toll carriers.
The OTA membership upholds and defends the principle of Universal Access, as described in the Telecommunications Act, that every citizen is provided access to reliable and affordable phone service. In the Independents' primary service areas of rural and northern Ontario areas that are geographically large and have a widely spread out customer base the phone company provides service irrespective of their costs. So, whether you reside in Tobermory or Westport, or whether you have a business in Aylmer or New Liskeard, Ontario Independents will ensure you have reliable and affordable, quality phone service.
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| Independents Play a Significant Role |
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Independent companies have a profound effect on communities throughout Ontario. There is a tremendous socio-economic benefit to having healthy Independents, for they will ensure local economies grow and local, quality jobs are maintained. The continued evolution of Ontario's Independents, within the ever-changing telecommunications sector, will have a significant impact in the development of vibrant rural and northern communities.
Healthy Independents provide an invaluable service to the telecommunication industry as well. Apart from the fact that OTA members ensure every citizen has reliable and affordable phone service, the Independents help serve as a measuring stick for quality local service. Ontario Independents are strong advocates for their customers' right of continued quality, affordable service and their need for choice. As was the case in providing Internet service to local business and residential customers, often OTA members set the pace in delivering quality service at responsible prices.
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About
OTA