CRTC Unveils New Wireless Code To Protect Canadian Customers 230
FuzzNugget writes "The CRTC has unveiled a code of conduct that brings many positive changes for Canadian wireless customers, most notably:
1.) Carriers must provide the option to unlock a cell phone after 3 months for subsidized phones within the contract period, or immediately if the device was purchased outright.
2.) Contracts are now capped at two years, and cancellation fees are limited to the amount of the subsidy.
3.) Carriers can no longer charge outrageous data overage and international roaming charges. Without explicit consent from the a customer, such charges are capped at $50 and $100 per month, respectively."
1.) Carriers must provide the option to unlock a cell phone after 3 months for subsidized phones within the contract period, or immediately if the device was purchased outright.
2.) Contracts are now capped at two years, and cancellation fees are limited to the amount of the subsidy.
3.) Carriers can no longer charge outrageous data overage and international roaming charges. Without explicit consent from the a customer, such charges are capped at $50 and $100 per month, respectively."
A nice lead... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Point 3 will be fiercely faught. (Score:4, Insightful)
If "brazil telecom" charges exhorbitant roaming fees to the canadian carriers and provides no mechanism to cut users off when they reach their roaming limit then the canadian carriers need to either negotiate a better roaming deal with "brazil telecom", or stop enabling roaming to "brazil telecom" by default.
Re:A nice lead... (Score:2, Insightful)
In other words, government regulation can do a lot to bring fairness and transparency to business. But it can do nothing to force a business to support or continue an unprofitable venture.
Re:2 year contract (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Reduced Expectations (Score:5, Insightful)
Perfect is the enemy of good. If you burn "good" in the pursuit of "perfect" not only will you never have "perfect", you'll never have "good".
Also, baby steps, my friend. Baby steps.
Re:If only the USA wasn't bought by corps (Score:4, Insightful)
The Canadian government seems to hold near-monopolies in very high favour. The result is always that the customer gets screwed completely. The Telephone industry here is a great example.
Re:2 year contract (Score:5, Insightful)
You mock his outdated hardware, then suggest he give it to someone else? So you can mock them for their outdated hardware? It's not good enough for him but it's good enough for someone else? As long as it does what he needs it to do, why does he need to upgrade?