OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has kicked off a public consultation on whether the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) should expand its role to add the duties of television service ombudsman.
The review will also include an examination of the CCTS’s structure and mandate, including its administration of the Wireless Code, and the mandatory participation of telecommunications service providers. It will also address whether the CCTS needs to step up its efforts to promote itself to Canadians.
Comments are due by August 4, and a public hearing in the Ottawa area will begin on November 3, 2015.
“The communication marketplace is becoming increasingly dynamic and competitive. An independent organization like the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services plays a pivotal role by helping Canadians resolve their complaints regarding their services”, said CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, in a statement. “We want to ensure that the mandate and structure of this ombudsman remains appropriate in light of the current realities of the communication marketplace.”
The CCTS responded that it welcomed the public review and feedback from the CRTC, public, and other stakeholders.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our services and enhance our expertise”, said CCTS Commissioner and CEO Howard Maker, in a statement. “If the CRTC decides to expand our mandate to include the administration of a television code, we’ll apply to that the same independence and impartiality we’ve brought to the Wireless Code.”
The CCTS presently assists Canadians in resolving complaints relating to wireless, Internet and telephone services, in addition to administering the CRTC’s wireless code.
