VOIS Inc. to pay $15,000 for breaking mandatory participation requirement in telecommunications complaints body

From: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

News Release

April 27, 2017 – Ottawa-Gatineau – Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) imposed a $15,000 penalty on VOIS Inc. for being expelled from the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunication Services (CCTS). VOIS Inc. was expelled because it failed to co-operate with the CCTS.

VOIS Inc. was found to have been in non-compliance with the CRTC’s mandatory CCTS participation requirement.

The CRTC has also imposed a mandatory order on VOIS Inc. requiring it to restore its participation in the CCTS within 30 days.

This marks the first time the CRTC has imposed a penalty on a telecommunications service provider under the Telecommunications Act for failing to comply with a CRTC regulatory requirement not related to telemarketing.

The CRTC has initiated a further public proceeding to consider whether it should impose additional penalties of $25,000 on VOIS Inc. and $5,000 on its Director, Mr. Harpreet Randhawa, for failing to provide information to the Commission.

Quotes

“The CRTC takes the protection of Canadians very seriously. By refusing to cooperate with the CCTS, VOIS failed to honour a fundamental requirement of the complaints process to the detriment of its customers. We will not hesitate to hold service providers who do not comply with the rules accountable, as demonstrated today.”

- Jean-Pierre Blais, CRTC Chairman and CEO.

Quick Facts

  • VOIS Inc. provides telephone, Internet, and television services to residential and business customers, primarily in Calgary.

  • In August 2016, the CCTS revoked VOIS Inc.’s participation in the telecommunications complaints body because it failed to co-operate with the CCTS during the investigations of six complaints and did not provide affected customers with the remedies to which they were entitled as determined by the CCTS.

  • Following the revocation, in November 2016, the CRTC initiated a proceeding for VOIS Inc. to demonstrate why it should not be found to be in contravention of the regulatory requirement to participate in the CCTS.

  • To ensure compliance with the Telecommunications Act and the Commission’s regulations and decisions, the Commission may impose larger penalties for subsequent violations by VOIS Inc.

  • When determining the appropriate amount of administrative monetary penalty, the Commission must consider several factors, including the nature and scope of the violation and the person’s ability to pay.

  • Created in 2007, the CCTS is an independent body that helps consumers resolve disputes with their phone, wireless, and Internet service providers.

  • The CCTS may revoke the participation of a telecommunications service provider that does not comply with its obligations under the CCTS; termination could result in enforcement action by the CRTC.

  • Participation in the CCTS is mandatory for all telecommunications service providers offering services within the scope of its mandate.

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