The CRTC is listening, get your mobile wireless problems heard!

OTTAWA, April 12, 2019 – Have you faced any issues with your mobile wireless service – cellphones – be it your bills being too high, data overage fees, high roaming charges, poor quality of service, or any other problems? The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is reviewing the mobile wireless services. With this public consultation, the CRTC will be specifically looking at:

  • the state of competition in the retail wireless service market;
  • regulation of wholesale mobile wireless service and the provision and competition implications of the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) access; and
  • the future of mobile wireless services in Canada- 5G technology and other developments.

Here’s your chance to share your experiences and ideas with the CRTC; enabling them to better understand your wireless concerns, and accordingly, plan and take the required measures. PIAC encourages you all to participate, and share your views regarding the available choices within the retail wireless industry, issues you have faced with mobile wireless services, and any measures needed for improvement.
It is important that you comment in detail, and be as specific as possible about your issues and ideas. You may choose to add your particular experience– what happened when you complained about an issue, or brought it to the attention of your wireless provider? What challenges did you face in dealing with this? How would you like these issues to be addressed? Details like these will allow for a more clear and precise understanding of the point being made.
We also encourage you to share this message and the link to the CRTC’s public consultation page with your contacts. Remember, more public input means a stronger and a more prominent consumer voice, with a better chance of seeing positive changes for consumers.
Do not wait, participate now and be a part of this process. Please note that your comments must be received by the CRTC by 5 p.m. Vancouver time (8 p.m. Ottawa time) on May 15, 2019.
We at PIAC continue to advocate for your rights, and plan to be your voice during this proceeding. Watch our website for our submissions to the CRTC throughout the process.
Helpful Links:

PIAC Supports New Policy Direction to CRTC; expects lower costs, more choice in wireless and Internet

OTTAWA – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) today expressed its support in a comment filed in answer to a consultation in the Canada Gazette for the Government’s proposed new “Policy Direction” to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), intended to protect consumers, encourage affordability, increase competition and encourage innovation in telecommunications services.
“PIAC supports the Government’s proposed New Policy Direction to the CRTC to re-focus Canadian telecommunications regulation on consumers, cost and choice,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel at PIAC.  “We expect it will encourage concrete changes like more wireless service options, more Internet service options at higher speeds and all of it at prices Canadians can better afford.”
PIAC also recommended abolishing a previous Policy Direction from 2006 that favoured “market forces” in CRTC decision-making, stating its “time has passed and that it should, in reasonably short order, be revoked.”
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 562-4002 ×25
jlawford@piac.ca
www.piac.ca

Communications Companies Playing Hardball with Consumers – CCTS Mid-Year Report

OTTAWA – The annual “Mid-Year Report” of the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) (2018-19) released today shows an increase of 44% in consumer complaints compared to the same period last year – showing that there are continuing problems with the communications sector, said the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) today.  Worryingly, more consumers are being denied clear rights in the Wireless Code and other consumer protections and are facing increasing willingness of companies to cut off their service.
“We see a hardening of attitudes towards consumer complaints in these numbers,” said John Lawford, PIAC Executive Director and General Counsel, referring to an increase of complaints about lack of notice of wireless disconnections and an increase in complaints about matters such as mid-month cancellations. “Consumers have clear rights that are being flouted – so the only remedy is for consumers to bring forward even more complaints until the companies change their attitude,” he added.
PIAC notes that the Mid-Year Report revealed that the new most frequent complaint issue was “Incorrect charge”. The “incorrect charge” category covers a wide range of issues but may include Canadians’ continued disputes with companies about “overage” fees on texting and voice calls (usually long distance). PIAC also notes that there was an increase in complaints about mid-month cancellations, referred to as “30 day cancellation policy/Charges billed after cancellation”. Under CRTC rules, consumers can cancel any communications service mid-month and may not be charged for service after cancellation.
“The companies continue as well to mislead consumers, usually during sales,” explained Lawford (the second highest complaint category was: “non-disclosure of terms/misleading terms”). “It is unacceptable for so many of the complaints to continue to relate to sales-related matters – so we hope the CRTC follows up its Sales Report with action,” he added, referring to the CRTC’s recent “Report on Misleading or Aggressive Communications Retail Sales Practices.”
The CCTS Mid-Year Report 2018-19 also noted continuing problems with Canadians’ experience with the quality of communications services, in particular their Internet services, as well as disputes arising from wireless data charges.
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Tel: 613-562-4002 ext. 25
Cell: 613-447-8125
jlawford@piac.ca