OTTAWA, March 17, 2016 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) supports the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) decision today to ensure the phone, Internet and television customers of the major service providers can bring their complaints to the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).
“The CCTS has a valuable role in providing telecom and TV customers with an independent means of resolving complaints with their service providers,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel to PIAC. “We welcome the decision to allow the CCTS to receive television in addition to phone and Internet complaints. PIAC looks forward to future collaboration with the CCTS to ensure customers are treated fairly when interacting with their service providers,” noted Lawford.
At the public hearing last November PIAC, the National Pensioners Federation, and the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of B.C. supported CCTS’ work in resolving customer complaints, as well as the addition of television complaints to the CCTS’ mandate. The groups also stressed the importance of public awareness and promotion, service provider participation, and independent governance of CCTS.
In its decision, the CRTC requires all licensed television providers to participate in the CCTS by September 2017. The decision also directs the CCTS to publish its annual budget and plan for activities such as raising consumer awareness and monitoring compliance when creating its annual budget.
PIAC commends the Commission’s direction to the CCTS to also focus on measuring, reporting on and promoting public awareness of CCTS, and will continue to monitor these activities. “The more Canadians are aware of the CCTS, the more effective the CCTS will be in fulfilling its mandate to resolve consumer complaints with communication service providers,” stated Jonathan Bishop, Research Analyst for PIAC.
For more information please contact:
Alysia Lau
Legal Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 562-4002 ×38
alau@piac.ca
Jonathan Bishop
Research & Parliamentary Affairs Analyst
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 562-4002 ×23
jbishop@piac.ca
www.piac.ca