What is Priority Access for Dialing?

PAD is a service provided free of charge by many telephone companies for essential services personnel and decision makers. Individuals with PAD will have priority access to the dial tone in cases where a heavy volume of calls coming through a telephone switch is causing dial tone delays. PAD users will not pre-empt or terminate any calls already in progress. Instead they will be put at the front of the queue and receive dial tone more quickly.

PAD does not guarantee that a call will be completed, as this may involve inter-switch connections that may or may not be congested or out of service.

The PAD program is managed by Industry Canada in partnership with provincial/territorial governments and in cooperation with participating wireline telephone companies.

Why Do I Need Priority Access for Dialing?

Today, the extraordinary levels of traffic on Canadian telephone systems are controlled by a sophisticated array of network management tools. Calls to and from the various switching stations can be re-routed to find multiple connection paths. In addition, when a severe overload occurs, selective blocking can be applied to the long distance network to ensure service for the majority of callers. All these controls are used for just seconds or minutes at a time to control the flow of calls over the network during peak periods, much like traffic signals are used in the city. These measures help ensure that Canadians receive the best telephone service when caller traffic is exceptionally high.

Emergency planning requires being prepared for various contingencies. Should local phone systems become congested during an emergency, PAD can be one of several tools you can have in place to help ensure continuity of communications.

Who should have PAD?

PAD is for anyone who is deemed by their organization to be essential during emergencies, based on their responsibilities for public safety, emergency management, continuity of government or critical infrastructure. Organizations must be eligible themselves for their employees to have PAD.

How do I get Priority Access for Dialing?

Industry Canada works closely with other federal departments and the provincial/territorial emergency measures organizations to collect the PAD data. The provinces and territories, in turn, work with municipal officials.

Is Priority Access for Dialing available for all types of phone connections?

Priority Access for Dialing is available on the major wireline telephone companies’ networks throughout Canada, for circuit-switched phone lines.

The provision of telephone service in Canada is becoming increasingly complex, and this means that the services provided by the various telephone companies can differ widely. This is the case with Priority Access for Dialing. While the traditional wireline service providers are able to provide this service, this may not be the case for all competing telephone service providers in Canada. Further, PAD is not compatible with VoIP. If your organization is on a VoIP telephone system, you may consider installing a circuit-switched wireline phone or fax as a back-up system.

What types of phone connections are not compatible with PAD?

• VoIP
• Megalinks/PRI
• PBX systems
• Cable phone systems
• “Teen lines” or “Ident-A-Call” numbers
• Toll-free numbers