Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is the federal regulator for telecom and broadcasting in Canada. It sets the rules that providers must follow, including the Wireless Code, the Internet Code and the Television Service Provider Code. It does not resolve individual customer disputes; that job belongs to the CCTS.

What the CRTC does

• Sets and updates the codes that govern phone, internet and TV service.
• Licenses broadcasting undertakings and sets Canadian content rules.
• Regulates wholesale access and some retail telecom rates.
• Enforces the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, including the National Do Not Call List.
• Holds public proceedings and can impose penalties for rule breaches.
• Monitors the market and publishes data on competition and service.

What it cannot do

The CRTC cannot order a provider to refund your bill, cannot decide whether a specific charge is fair and cannot award compensation for inconvenience. It also does not handle privacy complaints, which go to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or competition issues, which go to the Competition Bureau.

When to contact the CRTC

Contact the CRTC when the issue is about a rule or a market practice rather than your account alone: a provider ignoring the Wireless Code, misleading advertising, unauthorized telemarketing, or a broadcasting standards complaint. It also accepts comments in public proceedings that affect telecom and TV policy.

For an individual dispute, complain to the provider and then go to the CCTS once the provider has had a reasonable opportunity to resolve it. The CCTS applies the CRTC's codes when it reviews a case, so the code is the legal backdrop even though the CRTC is not the decision-maker.

The codes that matter most

The Wireless Code covers contract terms, unlocking, cancellation fees, roaming notifications and the right to a copy of your contract. The Internet Code covers contract information, speed claims, service outages and cancellation. The Television Service Provider Code covers TV packages and equipment. If a provider has breached one of these, quote the specific section in your complaint. That makes your case easier to assess and harder to dismiss.

Evidence that helps

Keep the contract, the welcome letter, the bills and screenshots of the plan you were sold. If speed is the issue, run repeated tests at different times of day and save the results. If a sales agent promised something that is not in the contract, write down the date, the agent's name and the exact words as soon as possible.

Read how to complain to the CCTS in Canada for the practical route. The CRTC's own website explains the codes and the current proceedings.