OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC reaffirmed its support for the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) on Wednesday after releasing the full details of its review of the telecom consumer agency.
“Following an extensive review, we are satisfied that the CCTS is doing a good job of resolving complaints on behalf of consumers and small businesses,” said Leonard Katz, the CRTC’s vice-chairman of telecommunications, in a statement. “An independent agency like the CCTS is an essential intermediary in a market where competition is growing by the day and the majority of telecommunications services are no longer regulated.”
The Commission approved the agency’s structure, mandate and current remedies, though asked the agency to include more details in its annual report about the types of complaints it receives. This “will enable a better assessment of trends, the agency’s complaint-resolution activities and the effectiveness of public awareness activities”, the CRTC said. Last month it ruled that all Canadian telecom service providers must join the CCTS for a period of five years.
Established in 2007, the CCTS is an independent organization designed to resolve complaints between residential and small-business customers and their telecommunications service provider. It mediates disputes over unregulated services including billing disputes and errors; service delivery; credit management; white pages, directory assistance and operator services; and unauthorized transfer of service. The CRTC handles complaints over regulated services such as emergency services (911), payphones, and local telephone services in areas that have not been deregulated.
