A little over a week ago, I mentioned that PIAC had written to the CRTC to ask the Commission to start a public consultation process for establishing what I have called C-5: Canadian Communications Consumer Complaints Commission.
On Wednesday, Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, Sasktel and Telus sent a joint letter to the CRTC politely suggesting that the CRTC’s involvement is not needed to provide any help in jumpstarting the development.
The Companies are currently working intensely to respond to the requirement in the Order that the industry establish an independent agency with a mandate to resolve complaints from individual and small business retail customers (the Consumer Agency). The Companies will shortly commence meetings with telecommunications service providers and groups representing consumers regarding the Companies’ proposal for the Consumer Agency, as contemplated in the Order. The Companies will keep the Commission apprised of all developments
In the original cabinet Order, the letter suggests no Commission process was contemplated prior to the industry submitting a proposal. Although the agency was contemplated as being funded by the industry, a majority of governors and the CEO of the agency are supposed to be unaffiliated with telecommunications service providers.
We’ll see how this evolves.
The group that submitted the letter to the CRTC is missing the perspectives of the competitive side of the industry – the cable companies, resellers and MTS Allstream. It is not clear to me that those groups shouldn’t have an equal opportunity to put forward proposals.