Statement by the CRTC’s Vice-President of Consumer, Analytics and Strategy, Scott Hutton, on recent actions to protect Canadians

November 5, 2024—Ottawa–Gatineau—Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Today, the CRTC is taking action to remind service providers of their obligations to their customers.

Providers have a responsibility to inform customers that the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) can help resolve issues, and that the Wireless Code protects Canadians when they buy or rent a cellphone. We are calling on providers to clearly inform their customers of early cancellation fees and also of the fact that the Wireless Code limits these fees.

This follows other recent actions the CRTC has taken to protect Canadians, including calling on service providers to offer affordable options for international roaming and to not surprise customers with price increases.

In the coming weeks, the CRTC will be launching public consultations to build on these protections. The consultations will focus on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers. The CRTC also plans to consult in the future on combining the Wireless Code, the Internet Code and the TV Service Provider Code.

The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes. We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.