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Rogers Joins Telus In Seeking National Regulation
silentbrad writes "Canada's largest mobile service provider is urging the federal telecom regulator to implement a mandatory national consumer protection code (PDF; actual filing with the CRTC) in order to defuse the threat posed by a growing hotchpotch of provincial regulations for wireless services. Rogers Communications Inc. submitted that proposal to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in an application late Thursday. In doing so, Rogers becomes the second major carrier to ask the CRTC to resume active regulation of the terms and conditions for wireless service contracts, a practice it largely abandoned during the 1990s. Nonetheless, those regulatory powers, while latent, remain in the Telecommunications Act, meaning the CRTC can still exercise its authority over those matters."
When groups of incumbent telecom providers gather together to protect consumers, it's usually to protect consumers from the distraction of non-incumbent providers striving to provide superior and less expensive service.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Getting the cheap/free cellphone in Canada often involves signing up for long 3 year plan with huge penalties if you quit early.
I'm not sure of all the provinces, but I know that both Quebec and Manitoba have new laws in place requiring better contract disclosure and limiting those penalties.
I suspect that Rogers and Telus are afraid the other provinces will enact the same or stronger legislation.
A "hotchpotch" is a mutton stew. Do you mean a "hodgepodge"? :-) :-)
Lesson: Never edit when you're hungry
You're missing the fact that the CRTC is a captured regulator.
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
Not to argue that there isn't a conflict of interest, but I guess that the alternative would be to appoint someone who hasn't worked in the telecom industry. I'm not sure which would end up worse. Having someone in charge who is old friends with the people running the telcos, or having somebody in charge who has no idea about telecommunications networks are run, and has never worked in the business.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
you are also blaming bureaucracy for a legislative failure
bureaucracy gets the blame for every half-wit legislative idea that is implemented poorly because it cannot be implemented correctly due to being not thought out at all and being written by an idiot.
bureaucracy is what first implements laws, written by morons, into regulations then implement regulations into a process that actually gets something done.
like anything else a department can be poorly structured and inefficient in which case it should be reformed, but those "unelected Bureaucrats" are all that stands between you and a million monkeys on typwriters, well 535 monkeys actually
imagine if every law included it's exact implementation right down to design of paperwork, office procedure, etc.
Snowden and Manning are heroes.
Of course they want national laws. It'll be much easier to screw customers over if they can figure out national loopholes, a lot less work for their legal team.
I wouldn't go that far, at least in Canada. Regulators walk a fine line between the public and industry. Usually they have one master (whatever the political party of the day is, which can change things), and two focuses one of the public and one of the industry. Usually the idea behind the industry support is to ensure that they are strong and vital, so that the industry is available to the public, producing jobs, services, goods or whatever. The public of course is looking out for what is it the best interest of the public.
In the case of CRTC they have defiantly crossed that line, and stayed crossed for some time. The same can't be said of all regulators, as there are a ton that do very good work across Canada. The trouble with some however is how they hire their staff. This is the same problem of the lobbyists going back and forth between the US political parties. The CRTC would argue that they are simply hiring those with the most skill and knowlege in telecommunications, which of course ALL come from Bell or Rogers more less. They all come from the same side of the fence. They all have likely the same perspective and outlook of what is in the best interest of Canadians. So I think they probably believe they are doing the right thing. It has to do with the systemic hiring practices, if got some new blood in there I am sure it would make all the difference. Have some contesting opinions, etc... As as much as they might like to make the argument that being an executive at both Bell and Rogers makes you perfect for the job as the chair of the CTRC, one could also make the pretty good argument that there is a conflict of interest. Because really to do the jobs at CRTC, you need some legal or policy back ground, some idea how the industry works and is set up (which can be taught), and some technical knowlege. You don't need all that much technical knowlege either. I guess what I am saying is all your staff shouldn't be coming from private industry you regulate.
So anyway, while yes the CRTC is in need of reform, I don't think it is fair to say that all regulators are in bed with industry, as I don't believe it.
I have zero doubt that this is a ploy to create a system where newcomers have to "respect" a regulatory regime that would make newcomers behave just like the incumbents.
One of the things that the old players probably fear the most is newcomers doing "evil" things such as offering data at a low price without making the customer first sign up for a bunch of crap they don't want. Also I can see them somehow figuring out a ruleset that makes 3 year contracts a de-facto standard.
In Atlantic Canada I am counting the days until I can dump Telus for one of the two new players coming this spring.