We fight for that

Wholesale regulation of Internet (and wireless, maybe?) is fundamental to competition in Canadian telecommunications services.  We give a short lecture on the concept and then interview Matt Stein, CNOC President and Chairman, and Distributel CEO, to bring listeners up to date on recent disputes about wholesale rates for Internet service and how this arcane regulatory question affects the price consumers pay for Internet as well as the choice of providers and innovation in the industry. Matt reveals why consumers should have optimism that things are going in the right direction - thanks for the positivity, Matt!  Plus, PIAC takes a victory lap on its COVID Alert Part 1 Application to the CRTC. Told you so.

ISP Summit online: https://ispsummit.tech/  3 and 4 November 2020.  (Matt Stein keynote address on 4 November 2020, at 13:10 Eastern time)

PIAC's "Application Regarding “COVID Alert” App, “ABTraceTogether” App and Related Matters": https://www.piac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PIAC-Part-1-COVID-Alert-Contact-Tracing-FINAL-9Sept2020-Full.pdf 

You may comment to the CRTC on PIAC's Application until 27 November 2020, here: https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/CommentForm/Default-Defaut.aspx?lang=e&EN=202005769&ET=A&S=O&PA=T&PT=A&PST=A&FN= 

Please note the scope of comments permitted is outlined by the CRTC in this letter: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2020/lt201028.htm 

Make a donation to PIAC, right now, through Canada Helps: https://www.piac.ca/become-a-donor/

We interview Marina Pavlovic, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section at the University of Ottawa and member of its Centre for Law, Technology and Society about the CRTC's recent "mystery shop" of communications services in Canada. We also talk about another CRTC report claiming Canadians get all the speed they need from Internet services in Canada. And we fall on our own sword (sort of), explaining why we want CRTC to outline some rules for the COVID Alert app - because we want people to trust it cannot be misused, not that it should not be used.  Ah well.

Make a donation to PIAC, right now, through Canada Helps: https://www.piac.ca/become-a-donor/

"We fight for that" - is the new podcast from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) focussing on consumer protection in Canada.  This first episode includes an introduction to PIAC, asking and answering why you, as a Canadian consumer, keep asking "Am I Going Crazy?" when you have a problem with your purchases and subscriptions; and a detailed explanation of PIAC's COVID Alert app CRTC Application, that seeks to limit government access to any personal information from contact-tracing in Canada.  Our last segment, which we hope will be fun, is "I told you so!" - where we call out government, regulators, the industry or even ourselves, when someone should have known better (and we already told them so).  This week: the freight-train wreck that is the CRTC and wireless companies' efforts to stamp out "SIM-swap fraud" in cellphone number porting.  Why not just hold a public hearing where real consumers could help make sure the process of changing from one cellphone to another is easy and quick, but also that fraudsters cannot pretend to be you, take over your phone account, and steal your money? Why take the very people - consumers - out of the debate over the security of their most important device, their cellphone? C'mon CRTC - hold a public hearing - it's not just PIAC but also a Parliamentary Committee that wants one.

Make a donation to PIAC, right now, through Canada Helps: https://www.piac.ca/become-a-donor/

Consumer protection news, advocacy and information in Canada from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).

Make a donation to PIAC, right now, through Canada Helps: https://www.piac.ca/become-a-donor/