CRTC wants telecoms to address Canadians with disabilities wireless services

Thursday the CRTC issued a decision directing wireless service providers (WSPs) to provide better service to people with disabilities. The companies must consult with those affected and issue annual reports on the result of those discussions. The issue harkens back to 2016 when the commission directed WSPs to provide wireless packages for Canadians with disabilities and to make sure their existence was widely known. Simply advertising such plans on company websites was not good enough, the regulator stated at the time. Such measures fall not only under the Telecommunications Act but also the Accessible Canada Act. The CRTC had interventions from seven WSPs, who generally opposed new regulations, four consumer groups, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association and 15 individuals. It also had responses to requests for information (RFIs) from the seven telecoms and an additional 14 WSPs. The companies listed accessibility plans already in place. Several offer a fixed monthly rebate while BCE Inc. subsidiary Bell Mobility offers a fixed rebate on devices. A variable rebate is available from Telus Corp.’s Koodo brand and from TBayTel. Extra data can be obtained from Eastlink, Bragg Communications Inc.’s telecom service, and from Bell’s Virgin Plus brand. Bell and Eastlink offer free 411 calls to eligible participants. Rogers Communications Inc. offers 3 GB accessibility and unlimited text accessibility through plans at its Cityfone flanker brand. The commission looked at whether the current formula is serving those with disabilities well. Rebates are good, it said, but affordability is still an issue for many. “While certain large WSPs have seen a significant increase in subscribers to accessible plans in recent years, the commission considers the reported total number of 14,453 subscribers to these plans to be significantly lower than could have been expected,” the CRTC decision notes, adding that one in five Canadians–or 6.2 million people–identify as having a disability. Barriers to adoption and low subscriber uptake point to the need for regulatory action, the commission stated. Therefore the CRTC directed the WSPs to engage in yearly consultations with accessibility groups and people with disabilities. Annual reports must be filed following these talks, including changes put in place through consultations, the number of subscribers and a list of what plans are available. The first report is due June 1. The companies must also list how they define eligibility for the accessible plans. The WSPs opposed proposals to ban the practice of verifying eligibility claims, stating those without true need might try to access them. Accessibility groups were not in favour of proof being provided but conceded that misrepresentation was a concern. How eligibility is determined will be listed in the annual reports from the telecoms. Access to video relay service for the deaf should be unfettered, the CRTC ruled. It also warned that its secret shopper program showed that too often sales staff of WSPs were not knowledgeable about accessibility plans for people with disabilities. The firms should include discussions of increasing customer awareness of plans in its talks with groups and individuals and better train their staffs, the regulator suggested. The new regulations will apply to the main brands of the WSPs and any flanker brands they may operate, the CRTC decided. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

CRTC wants telecoms to address Canadians with disabilities wireless services

News | February 23, 2023

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CRTC wants telecoms to address Canadians with disabilities wireless services

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