VANCOUVER – The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) along with Telus, Rogers and Bell announced yesterday they are donating the $22,000 legal costs awarded in a court decision with the City of Nanaimo back to the city for support of its 911 emergency operations.
The CWTA and the wireless carriers were awarded the legal costs from the City of Nanaimo following a decision by the Supreme Court of British Columbia last July concerning a jurisdictional review of a municipal fee on 9-1-1 calls.
“Our goal in determining what role wireless carriers can play in ensuring that 9-1-1 call centres are properly funded was never about costs,” said CWTA president and CEO Bernard Lord in a prepared statement. “Canada’s wireless industry looks forward to working with the provincial government in coming up with a solution that will benefit the public safety community across the province and keep British Columbians safe.”
Nanaimo mayor John Ruttan said, “The City and our Central Vancouver Island 9-1-1 service partners appreciate the CWTA’s gesture to return these costs back to our community. Our desire has always been to have a province-wide solution on the call answer levy, and we believe that this is achievable through cooperation with the industry and province.”
