Image: CRTC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced its new policy for mobile wireless plans designed specifically to meet the needs of Canadians with various disabilities.
Under the terms of the new policy, the CRTC said Canadian wireless service providers are required to:
- Offer plans, on all their brands, that meet the needs of persons with disabilities. They are also expected to offer meaningful rebates or extra data for accessible plans to make them more affordable.
- Make sure their accessible wireless plans meet the needs of their customers through regular consultations with persons with disabilities. They are also encouraged to provide financial support for these consultations.
- Send the CRTC a report every year about their consultations and their accessible plan offerings – starting in June 2023. These reports must be in an accessible format and will be made publicly available on this page.
- Make sure that Video Relay Service (VRS) users can make and receive VRS calls on the same basis that hearing Canadians can make and receive voice calls. This includes equitable access to 9-1-1 services for VRS users. They are also expected to ensure that access to other accessibility apps or features is not limited by how they manage their networks.
Wireless operators may choose to verify whether a customer qualifies for an accessible plan, but the CRTC advises them to make the verification process as easy as possible.
What’s more, service providers are encouraged to create a shared record of accessible plan eligibility so that when a customer verifies with one provider, they can seamlessly switch to an accessible plan offered by another.
Earlier this week, the CRTC launched its first public consultation on improving the resilience and reliability of Canada’s telecom networks.
The watchdog recently also started requiring bigger telecom players to grant faster pole access to encourage competition. All of this follows a major leadership change at the CRTC, with Vicky Eatrides taking over as chair and CEO of the regulator from Ian Scott in January.
