Following its ruling that actually gave legal grounds for Rogers, Bell, Telus, and other telcos to continue blocking Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) from setting up in Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has launched an online tool designed to let Canadians compare the prices of different phone, mobile, Internet, and TV service providers.
The new Communication Service Providers in Canada tool lets everyone search for phone, mobile, Internet, and television services available in their area and see what they have to offer.
“During our consultations with Canadians, we have heard repeatedly that consumers crave choice and affordability when it comes to choosing communication services,” said Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman and CEO of CRTC. “We listened to what Canadians told us and many of our recent decisions have an important common thread: choice and sustainable competition. We know this is how we can ensure Canadians benefit from a world-class communications system. The new online tool that we are introducing today will help Canadians select service providers that make the most sense for their needs, their budgets and their realities.”
The new “Communication Service Providers in Canada” site contains links to third-party sites like comparemyrates.ca (“Did you even know that there were so many options available to meet your needs?” – the tagline reads on the cell phone plan comparison page.), iPhone in Canada, etc. The website went live 10 days ahead of the “significant changes” that will affect Canada’s television service providers. Starting March 1, 2016, TV service providers will have to offer a new affordable basic package for as little as $25 per month, which doesn’t include equipment rental. Shaw has already started offering this new slimmed-down bundle.
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Must not have done something right (although it isn’t really possible to screw up!) I entered my town as it was listed in the drop down box and it gave me 7 ISP available – not so – we have Telus/Shaw/Explorenet only (none of these were on the list though), with the first two telcos not taking on any new customers due to no room left on their system. Seems like this “new” online tool is not accurate.
‘Did you even know that there were so many options available to meet your cell phone needs’
Did they write that line with a straight face?
For God’s sake, why even bother? The oligarchy that is the Pig 3 are all in lockstep with one another regarding plans & pricing so the CRTC creating this tool was a colossal waste of time & effort. (Not to mention taxpayers money!)
I guess a ‘comparison’ tool is right as opposed to a ‘contrasting’ too? There’s definitely nothing different between the plans offered by the companies. We might as well give up on democracy as our so called ‘pride’.