Canadians could finally get cheaper internet options thanks to new CRTC policy directive
Canadians are one step closer to getting cheaper internet and cellphone options.
A new Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) policy directive implemented by the federal government is now in force.
It means the agency must make decisions that prioritize improving competition in the country’s telecom industry.
“Access to affordable and reliable Internet and wireless services is critical in today’s society and economy,” said Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne in a statement on Monday.
“This is why our government is using every tool at our disposal to ensure that telecom services are competitive, reliable and, above all, affordable.”
Fighting for Canadians every day!
Cellphone and Internet Bills: Canada Orders Regulator to Focus on Lowering Costs.
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Champagne says the government consulted Canadians, organizations, and businesses, and came up with the final policy direction that puts the following objectives at the top of the CRTC’s decision process:
- Enhance wholesale Internet access and competition;
- Increase mobile wireless competition;
- Improve the reliability and resilience of services;
- Improve consumer rights;
- Speed up new infrastructure for universal access;
- Proactively improve the accessibility of telecom services for Canadians with disabilities;
- Build better regulations to better support Canadian consumers.
“These objectives will ensure that affordable access to high-quality, reliable and resilient telecommunications services is available in all regions of Canada, including rural and remote areas and Indigenous communities,” added the minister.
According to The Canadian Press, the directive cancels a 2006 policy that told the CRTC to rely on market forces when making decisions.
This comes alongside the telecom regulator’s approval of the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), a policy that aims to give Canadians more options when it comes to cellphone providers.
The new policy opens the door for more companies — particularly smaller, regional wireless providers in rural areas — to have access to the cellular networks of Canada’s telecom giants like Bell, Rogers, and Telus.
Minimizing the monopoly these major providers have will hopefully increase competition and therefore lower prices for cellphone plans, according to the CRTC.
Canada is known for having some of the most expensive cellphone and internet plans in the world, so this policy directive could be a welcome relief for your bank account.
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