PIAC-NPF – Part 1 App – Paper Billing by Koodo Mobile FINAL
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and National Pensioners Federation (NPF) have filed the above application with the CRTC regarding paper billing by Koodo Mobile. According to complaints received by PIAC-NPF from consumers and those posted in online forums, Koodo Mobile has discontinued paper billing.
This application asks the Commission to clarify that wireless service providers must offer paper billing upon request at no charge by virtue of the agreement on paper billing negotiated on 28 August 2014, by virtue of s 27.2 of the Telecommunications Act, or by virtue of s. A.1.(i) of the Revised Wireless Code. In the alternative, PIAC-NPF requests that the Commission impose a condition of service under s 24 of the Telecommunications Act on all telecommunications service providers requiring them to offer paper billing upon request.
We are concerned about the negative effects electronic-only billing will have on vulnerable and low-income consumers. This includes persons with disabilities, senior citizens, consumers living paycheque to paycheque and those who do not have the resources to take advantage of e-billing. According to the 2017 CRTC Communications Monitoring Report, only 64.4% of households in the bottom income quintile and 82.1% of households in the second income quintile use home internet and slightly fewer have home computers. Only 54% of senior women and 59% of senior men have used the internet in the last 12 months. These consumers are profoundly disadvantaged when their carrier discontinues paper billing, or informs the customer after purchase that paper billing is not available, or by having their choice of service provider limited to premium brands which still offer paper billing.