PIAC Reports

Canadians need a clear definition of affordability of their communications services if they wish to realize the full potential of these services to connect them to Canadian society, concludes a new report released today by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).In the report “No Consumer Left Behind: A Canadian Affordability Framework for Communications Services in a Digital Age”, PIAC surveys existing legal and policy explorations of how much Canadians can afford to pay for their communications services (wireline and wireless telephone, broadband Internet and broadcasting), and finds that Canada needs a comprehensive statement of affordability in order to move towards universal communications for Canadians.

Auctions of radio spectrum for wireless service have been a mechanism for maximizing their value for the Canadian government, according to a new report released today by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Entitled “The Consumer Interest in Spectrum Auctions,” this examination overviews the development of spectrum allocation policy.

Canadian consumers have high expectations of advertised internet speed claims but receive little information from internet service providers to judge them on, according to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s (PIAC) latest report: “Transparency in Broadband Advertising to Canadian Consumers.”

Canadian wireless subscribers want better protection from international data roaming fees, according to a report released today by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) entitled “Consumers and Wireless Data Roaming.”

PIAC’s report includes focus groups with consumers who had experiences with mobile premium services and a review of industry self-regulation and practices for mobile premium services.

An Ottawa-based consumer organization, with a 35-year history of representing consumers in telecommunications work, today released a 218-page report on the need for reform of the regulation and performance of markets for telecom services.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), today released a report that calls for establishing broadband as basic service for Canadians in the same way that telephone service was established as a need for every citizen in the last century.

CRTC Decision not adequate to protect consumer interests; broadband goals needed

This report focuses on use of mobile phones for Internet commercial transactions and point of sale (POS) mobile payments or m-Commerce, as the fastest growing area of e-Commerce.

Security of computer systems and networks is a growing concern in today’s society. Although present computer security functions overwhelmingly rely on software, a combination of software and hardware security can theoretically enhance computer security. The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), a consortium of hardware manufacturers, software developers and system integrators, are developing security solutions based on hardware chips and secure software. The hope is that this approach, referred to as Trusted Computing, will provide a higher level of computer security.