CIPPIC applauds new telecom agency
p2pnet news | Politics:- CIPPIC (Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic) has welcomed the release of the CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission) decision on the mandate and structure of a new, industry-funded body to handle consumer complaints about telecommunications services.
“This is a big step forward in the development of a fair and effective telecommunications marketplace”, says CIPPIC director Philippa Lawson.
Companies will no longer be able to hide behind contractual clauses which purport to limit liability when they do wrong, “and consumers will now be able to obtain compensation of up to $5,000 where justified,” she says.
“And it will apply to all large telcos, not just those who voluntarily participate.”
Last April, the federal government ordered the CRTC to oversee the establishment of an effective consumer complaints agency, given increasing deregulation of the industry.
“Some major telecommunications service providers quickly created the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services, which commenced operations in July 2007,” says CIPPIC.
“The CRTC held a public proceeding in October 2007 to determine the extent to which the industry model satisfies the government’s Order in Council.”
CIPPIC intervened, arguing the industry model was insufficiently independent and empowered to be effective.
“While we would have liked to see a broader mandate for the Agency, this is a very good model to start with”, says Lawson, who represented consumer groups in telecommunications regulatory proceedings for 12 years before joining CIPPIC.
“With the changes ordered by the CRTC, this new Agency will be able to monitor the telecommunications marketplace and take action on systemic issues as well as individual complaints.”
Companies It will no longer be able to hide behind contractual clauses that purport to limit liability when they do wrong, “and consumers will now be able to obtain compensation of up to $5,000 where justified,” she says, adding:
The decision will apply to all large telcos, “not just those who voluntarily participate,” Lawson adds.
Use free p2pnet newsfeeds for your site. It’s really easy!Subscribe to p2pnet.net | | rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss | | Mobile – http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.phpNet access blocked by government restrictions? Use Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. Go here for details. Download here.
