OTTAWA — On the one-year anniversary of the CRTC’s denial of a request by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the National Pensioners Federation (NPF) to require Telus flanker brand Koodo Mobile and other wireless service providers to provide paper bills upon request, the federal cabinet announced today it will not rescind the Commission’s decision nor refer it to back for reconsideration – because the Regulator is actually studying the matter already.
After the CRTC denied their joint application on March 3, 2020, PIAC and the NPF filed a petition to the Governor in Council on June 1, 2020, asking cabinet to rescind or refer back the decision to the Commission. Under the rules of the Telecommunications Act, the Governor in Council (GIC) had one year from the date of the CRTC’s decision to take action in response to the petition.
A year ago, on the day the Commission ruled against the PIAC-NPF application, it also launched a proceeding to look into the issue of paper billing.
In a statement released today, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne is quoted as saying: “In its decision, the CRTC determined that, while Koodo was not violating any existing rules, important concerns related to consumer access to paper bills had been raised. As a result, the CRTC launched a broader proceeding to examine whether paper billing requirements should be developed not only for wireless services but also for phone, Internet and television services.
“The GIC has carefully considered the matter, and it recognizes that access to paper bills is an important issue for consumers. The GIC has determined that rescinding or referring back the Koodo decision would only delay the CRTC’s current work to develop rules for all communications services. We are confident that a comprehensive solution that is in the best interests of Canadian consumers will be found in a timely manner, in accordance with the existing policy direction,” said Champagne.
To read an unofficial text of the Order in Council responding to the PIAC-NPF petition, please click here.
