CRTC Considering Rogers’ Request to Delay Wireless Code Revisions

Rogers

According to a report by The Star,  the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has agreed to consider Rogers’ request to delay wireless code revisions, which include a change in the way customers are billed when data usage goes over their contract’s limit. The carrier has reportedly requested a delay due to the complexity of adjusting its IT system.

“Staff considers that a timely determination of the substantive issues raised in the application will assist with consumers’ ability to make informed decisions about their wireless services, a key objective of the wireless code,” Nanao Kachi, the CRTC’s director for social and consumer policy, wrote in a Nov. 10 letter to Rogers.

An emailed statement from Rogers on Tuesday said it will have “the vast majority” of required changes in place by Dec. 1, including elimination of its unlocking fees. But the company added, “There are a few areas where we need some more time to put in place the technical and billing system changes, and the customer impact is very low.”

Back in June, the regulator had announced that only the wireless account holder on family or shared plans can consent to overage and roaming charges, unless others on the plan are expressly authorized to approve the costs. The revised wireless code, which originally went into effect in 2013, would tie data caps for shared plans to single accounts, no matter how many devices are listed.

The revised wireless code of conduct also calls for the elimination of the carriers’ ability to charge customers for unlocking their devices, so they can work on a competitor’s network. 

The CRTC has now given other wireless carriers until Friday to comment on their positions regarding the matter.

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