CRTC Reaffirms Competitiveness Of Mobile Wireless Industry, Even As It Plans New Wireless Consumer Code

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has denied requests by consumers, consumer groups and some new entrants to re-regulate retail and wholesale wireless services generally, finding that competition in the mobile wireless market continues to be sufficient to protect the interests of users with respect to rates and choice of competitive service provider.

The finding, in Telecom Decision CRTC 2012-556, followed a public proceeding to consider whether the conditions of forbearance in the Canadian wireless market had changed sufficiently to warrant CRTC intervention with respect to retail mobile wireless data and voice services. That proceeding was triggered by an application by consumer groups to prohibit certain billing practices by wireless service providers, as well as an application by wireless service providers for the Commission to establish a uniform national consumer code for wireless services.