CRTC seeks input on plan to have TSPs block “blatantly illegitimate” phone numbers

OTTAWA – The CRTC is stepping up its fight against unwanted telemarketing calls by proposing universal call blocking for “blatantly illegitimate” phone numbers.The Commission defined blatantly illegitimate numbers as those where the calling number is the same as the called telephone number; numbers spoofed to be local calls when they’re actually long-distance numbers; and numbers that do not conform to the to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), i.e., are non-dialable telephone numbers like 000-000-0000.The regulator issued a call for comments Thursday on a proposal that would require all Canadian telecommunications service providers to implement the technology within nine months following a...