PIAC Office Closed Temporarily due to COVID-19

OTTAWA, 24 March 2020 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) physical office space will be closed, being a non-essential business, for the duration of the Ontario order requiring only essential workplaces be operating.
PIAC staff will be working from home until further notice. We continue to make regulatory submissions, to hold government decisions up to public scrutiny and to advocate for consumer rights during this period. We are available to all media via video.
PIAC will emphasize actions and information relevant to consumers as they attempt to fairly and reliably get access to essential services such as telecommunications (Internet, wireless and phone) and broadcasting; air travel protection and redress; privacy; retail banking including mortgages; and competition and general consumer law in a time of uncertainty and scarcity.
We trust in the power and compassion of the public in these difficult times to support all of our interests.
For any inquiries, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director/General Counsel
Email: jlawford@piac.ca
Cell: 613-447-8125 (please use during PIAC closure)
*** PHYSICAL OFFICE LOCATION CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE ***
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
285 McLeod Street – Suite 200
Ottawa, ON K2P 1A1
Phone: 613-562-4002 x 25
Fax: 613-562-0007
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PIAC Welcomes COVID-19 Responses by Internet Service Providers, Wireless – UPDATED 14 April 2020

OTTAWA – 16 March 2020 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) today welcomed recent announcements from major Canadian retail Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to suspend data overage fees for at least some time to assist Canadians with remaining connected during the present coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
“We commend the Canadian industry for leading on consumer access to the Internet during this crucial time,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel of PIAC. “Communications will be crucial in this fight against the virus and we encourage all telecommunications service providers to adopt similar policies, including payment flexibility and to consider adding other services, such as wireless, to their unlimited access policies,” he added.
UPDATED 14 April 2020: PIAC has produced a summary of major Canadian ISPs’ and WSPs’ policies, in their own words and with direct links to their responses.  **Limited wireless responses now are starting to appear.**
PIAC encourages consumers with particular access or payment issues to send us your concerns via our response form. Note that although we cannot advocate on your particular issue, we will use these stories to assist us with seeking systemic solutions for consumers.
For more information please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director/General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
285 McLeod Street – Suite 200
Ottawa, ON  K2P 1A1
613-562-4002 x 25

CRTC to Consumers: "No More Paper Bills"

OTTAWA- 3 March 2020 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and National Pensioners Federation (NPF) today lamented the unfathomable decision of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) not to require wireless carrier Koodo to provide customers with a paper bill.
“Consumers have the legal right to a paper bill. The Telecommunications Act clearly requires customers be provided with a paper bill,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel at PIAC.  “We cannot understand how the CRTC misinterpreted the law.  This decision will cost millions of wireless, home phone and Internet consumers dearly in missed payments, inconvenience and chaos.”
Trish McAuliffe, President of NPF added: “Thousands of seniors do not use email or text and rely on a paper bill to remind them to pay for their voice telephone service. This means they will not even know they have a bill and may face credit problems and be disconnected.”  She added: “We do not accept this decision.”
All telecommunications carriers in Canada are likely to follow the lead of Koodo, a TELUS brand, in this paperless approach. PIAC and NPF note that it has been reported that Rogers wireless (and FIDO brand) have already switched customers to electronic billing and Bell Mobility has promised to do so for customers except those without email or a home internet connection in 2020.
Added Lawford: “Consumers wishing to express their dissatisfaction should call or write their Member of Parliament and the CRTC.”
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
285 McLeod Street, Suite 200
Ottawa, ON  K2P 1A1
jlawford@piac.ca
office: 1-613-562-4002 ext. 25
cell: 1-613-447-8125