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News Release

December 20, 2007

CRTC grants conditional approval to a new telecommunications consumer agency

OTTAWA-GATINEAU - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today granted conditional approval to a newly established consumer agency, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc.

"We are very pleased that the industry came together to establish this consumer agency so quickly," said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. "It will provide residential and small business customers with an effective, accessible and consumer-friendly recourse when they are unable to resolve a disagreement with their service provider."

The agency was launched on a provisional basis in July 2007. During the first four months of operation, the agency received over 1,000 complaints and inquiries, and successfully resolved the majority of the complaints it received. Its services are available to consumers free of charge.

In its decision, the Commission is asking the agency to make certain modifications to its proposed structure and mandate to ensure its effectiveness, as well as its independence from the telecommunications industry. The CRTC expects the agency to implement these measures within the next 45 days.

The Commission also determined that service providers and resellers whose annual Canadian telecommunications service revenues exceed $10 million are required to become members of the agency by February 1, 2008.

Additional information about the agency can be obtained through its website, www.ccts-cprst.ca, or by telephone, at 1-888-221-1687.

The CRTC

The CRTC is an independent, public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.

Telecom Decision CRTC 2007-130

Reference document: Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2007-16

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Media Relations:
     MediaRelations, Tel: 819-997-9403, Fax: 819-997-4245

General Inquiries:
     Tel: 819-997-0313, TDD: 819-994-0423, Fax: 819-994-0218
     Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
     TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)
     On-line services

These documents are available in alternative format upon request.

Backgrounder on the telecommunications consumer agency

The Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc. provides residential and small business customers with an effective recourse when they are unable to resolve a disagreement with their service provider about an unregulated telecommunications service.

Consumers should contact the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) if they are unable to resolve a disagreement with their service provider about a regulated telecommunications service.

It is important to remember that consumers should attempt to resolve any disagreements directly with their service provider before contacting the agency or the CRTC.

Where should consumers address their complaint?

The following chart sets out the scope of services for which complaints will be handled by the consumer agency and the CRTC:

Consumer agency CRTC
  • Deregulated local telephone services and Voice over Internet Protocol services (including calling features)
  • Long-distance services (including prepaid calling cards)
  • Wireless telephone services
  • Internet services
  • Local telephone services in areas that have not been deregulated
  • Emergency services (9-1-1)
  • Accessibility services such as TTY
  • Payphones
  • 900/976 premium services

Bundled services

The agency is the first point of contact in the case of a disagreement about a service that is part of a bundle that includes unregulated and regulated services. If the complaint is deemed to be related to a regulated service, the agency will then refer the complainant to the CRTC.

Consumer agency complaint process

Consumers with a disagreement about an unregulated telecommunications service should always contact their service provider as a first step. If the matter is not resolved to their satisfaction, they may then file a complaint with the agency.

Complaints may be filed by using the online form, which is available at www.ccts-cprst.ca, or by mail or fax. In its decision, the CRTC indicated that the agency should also accept complaints by telephone, e-mail and TTY.

The agency will:

  • Assess whether the complaint is within the scope of its mandate.
  • If so, the agency will forward a copy of the complaint to the service provider, who will have 20 business days to respond, with a copy to the complainant.
  • If the service provider does not respond or the complaint remains unresolved after 20 business days, agency staff will investigate and make a non-binding recommendation to the complainant and the service provider.
  • If either the complainant or the service provider rejects the staff recommendation, the agency will render a decision that becomes binding if accepted by the complainant.

Remedies

To resolve a complaint, the agency can require a telecommunications service provider to:

  • provide an explanation or an apology to the consumer;
  • undertake to do or cease a specific activity or activities; and
  • provide up to $5,000 per complaint in compensation to the consumer.

Governance

Although the consumer agency was established by telecommunications service providers, it has been structured in a way that will ensure its independence from the industry. Notably, its Board of Directors will consist of seven directors, four of whom will be independent. In addition, two of the four independent directors will be appointed by consumer groups.

Membership

All service providers and resellers whose annual Canadian telecommunications service revenues exceed $10 million are required to become members of the agency by February 1, 2008. This requirement ensures that as many consumers as possible will have recourse to the agency's complaint resolution services.

For more information

Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc.
P.O. Box 81088, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1B1
Tel: 1-888-782-2924 (toll free)
TTY: 711 or 1-800-855-0511
Fax: 1-877-782-2924

Website: www.ccts-cprst.ca
E-mail: info@ccts-cprst.ca

Date Modified: 2007-12-20

 

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