A few days ago, we posted about the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services being hit with an increase of complaints about consumer’s telecom services – mainly their wireless contracts. As it turns out, the CCTS is hiring more staff to handle this growing volume of dissatisfaction.

CCTS commissioner Howard Maker spoke of the 73 percent increase with the CBC, saying, “It’s disappointing. Obviously there are challenges – miscommunication, misunderstandings, poorly written documents. It’s a bit frustrating.”

Maker thinks that part of the reason for the complaint surplus is heavier telecom coverage in the media, which has directed Canadians towards the CCTS. CBC interviewed Toronto resident James Hong, who said he would have liked to file a complaint in 2017, but he did not know that the CCTS existed until he read a CBC Go Public story that mentioned it. Hong is a Bell Canada customer. In March of 2018, Hong was able to file a complaint with the CCTS about Bell’s door-to-door sales tactics.

Source: cbc.ca – Telecom mediator adds staff to deal with soaring complaints about Bell, Rogers, Telus and others
Published: April 10, 2018

On Thursday, December 14^th the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal the 2015 net neutrality rules, meaning less oversight and regulations for broadband and wireless carriers and ISPs.

As explained by CNET, the 2015 laws “ensured all traffic on the internet is treated equally, and prevented broadband and wireless providers from blocking or slowing online content.”  These regulations were removed, as was the legal foundation which gives the FCC oversight over ISPs.

Responses to the vote are passionately mixed. One commissioner, Brendan Carr, called the vote “a great day for consumer, for innovation, and for freedom.” While another, Mignon Clyburn, said she was outraged to watch the FCC “pull its own teeth, abdicating responsibility to protect the nation’s broadband consumers.”

But no matter how you feel, net neutrality is not a new issue. This vote is just the latest manifestation of an eighteen-year debate over internet regulation, or lack thereof. Many believe that an open internet means consumer protection, protection of free speech, and no fast or slow lanes that bring divisiveness.

According to CNET, “[This] view is supported by consumer advocates, internet companies like Facebook and Google, and nonprofits, including the New York Public Library and First Amendment advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union. On the other side of the debate are cable operators and phone companies, like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, who say that treating broadband like the old telephone network hurts investment and stifles innovation.”

As of December 1, 2017, Canadian telecom companies will no longer be able to carrier-lock phones or charge customers unlocking fees. This CRTC ruling is a big win for not only the Liberal government, who promised telecom reform back in 2015, but also the consumers who will undoubtedly benefit from the new regulations.

In 2016, carriers like Rogers, Telus, and Bell made $37.7 million CAD in unlocking fees. That’s a lot of money from the pockets of consumers. And while it might seem like taking that income away from the carriers might impact them negatively, Mobile Syrup points out that in one quarter, the three carriers mentioned above generate roughly seven billion dollars combined.

Mobile Syrup’s Sameer Chhabra writes that, “the total amount of money that all Canadian carriers generated from unlocking phones across the country is dwarfed by just one of the Big Three’s quarterly earnings.”

And as University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist points out, “the lock was used as a barrier to lock not just the phone, but the consumer to carrier. It made it more difficult to leave and to roam with other carriers.”

So if you’re a smartphone owner in Canada, and had the idea of changing carriers, you might have noticed it was becoming increasingly expensive. In 2015, it cost an average of $30-per-unlock. That amount rose to $40 in 2016. As of now, the figure is around $50. Government intervention in this scheme has no doubt prevented continued growth for that figure.

Jean-Pierre Blais, the outgoing CRTC chairman, told the Financial Post he regrets not solving this issue sooner. “Frankly, that’s one case where I think my gut was telling me we probably should’ve forced unlocking. It would’ve helped three years sooner, a more dynamic marketplace.”

So what does this mean for you, the phone owner? As of December, you will have the ability to switch from carrier to carrier as you see fit, pursuing whatever deal suits you best, all without having to worry about those pesky, unfair fees or having to get a new phone or phone number.

As of April 19, Rogers is welcoming Joe Natale as its new CEO. According to MobileSyrup, this follows the dismissal of Guy Laurence from the role last year, when Natale could not take over due to his non-complete contract with Telus. Although that contract was not set to expire until July, Rogers said in a statement that it has reached “a confidential agreement” with Telus “to secure his early arrival.”

“I’m really excited to join the Rogers team,” said Natale in a statement sent to MobileSyrup. “The history of the company, the incredible mix of assets, and the growth potential are second to none.”

Rogers Communications currently has over ten million wireless subscribers in Canada, on top of its other businesses such as cable, internet, publishing, and entertainment. It also owns Canada’s sole Major League Baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays.