Canadians To Get New Consumer Code For Wireless Services

In a shift from its largely hands-off approach to the regulation of wireless services, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has announced that it will develop a mandatory code to address the clarity and content of mobile wireless services contracts and related issues -- but will continue not to regulate the rates for such services.

In its reasons for instituting such a code, the Commission cited consumer concerns and complaints about the terms under which mobile wireless services are offered in Canada, as well as near unanimity from consumer groups and wireless service providers as to the need for such a code.

In fact, the proceeding to develop a uniform national code was actually initiated by requests from the wireless industry itself, provoked by a trend toward provincial consumer protection laws that impact wireless service providers.  A significant majority of wireless carriers argued that such a patchwork of laws, whose requirements and