Marc Morin, Secretary General and Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services and Operations
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
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Introduction
Hello. Thank you for inviting us to appear before the committee.
Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people.
I am joined today by my colleague Scott Hutton, Vice President Consumer, Analytics and Strategy.
We are here today to discuss the CRTC's main estimates. I would like to begin by providing a brief overview of the CRTC and talking about some of the work we do for Canadians, before moving on to our funding.
CRTC overview
As you know, the CRTC is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates Canada's communications industry in the public interest. We hold public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and make decisions based on the public record.
The CRTC is made up of nine members: a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson for Broadcasting, a Vice-Chairperson for Telecommunications, and six Commissioners who are located across the country. The Commission is supported by a team of expert staff that help us make informed decisions.
Before getting to our funding, let me briefly outline our main areas of activity: telecommunications and broadcasting.
Promoting competition and supporting investment in networks
The CRTC has implemented concrete measures in recent years to promote competition and support investment in networks. These measures include improving access to the networks of large telecommunications firms, which enables competitors to offer Canadians new choices and greater affordability of Internet and cellphone services.
Canadians are starting to see the results. According to Statistics Canada, prices for cellphone services fell by 37.7% between 2021 and 2025. And competitors have announced plans to deliver new competitive choices of Internet services for up to 8.5 million households.
Improving access to new, affordable packages is only part of the equation. We must also ensure that Canadians can easily find these new choices in the market, switch providers when they find plans that meet their needs, and not be surprised by higher bills. Our recent decisions help Canadians to better manage their Internet and cellphone plans.
The CRTC is also part of a broader effort by the federal government to protect Canadians from spam, malware, phishing and other electronic threats. The CRTC is one of three organizations-along with the Competition Bureau and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner-that promotes and enforces Canada's anti-spam legislation, known as CASL.
Modernizing the broadcasting system and supporting Canadian content
So that gives you an overview of our work in telecommunications. I'll now briefly discuss broadcasting.
The CRTC is implementing the modernized Broadcasting Act to ensure that the new regulatory framework reflects today's digital environment and that all players-including streaming services-contribute fairly to the Canadian system.
The modernization of the broadcasting framework involves complex issues. As a tribunal, we must hold public proceedings and base on our decisions on the public record. To date, we have received more than 1,700 submissions reflecting divergent views. We are aware of the challenges facing the sector, which is why we have acted quickly in key areas.
We have issued several important decisions, including one requiring streaming services to support areas of immediate need. This will results in an estimated 200 million dollars annually flowing into the Canadian broadcasting system. We have also issued decision to help television and radio stations produce local news.
We will continue to publish important decisions in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
CRTC Funding structure
I would now like to turn to the CRTC's funding. Parliamentary appropriations account for only a small portion of our funding and are used primarily for specific responsibilities, including implementation of CASL.
While our appropriations are modest, they continue to support the fulfillment of our responsibilities, particularly those related to CASL. It is important to note that the funding we receive to support this work represents approximately 4.5% of our overall budget. This is a very small portion of our activities as a regulatory agency.
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to emphasize that we are working on multiple fronts and are making tangible progress within the mandate we have been given. We are focused on making a difference on the issues that matter to Canadians, and we are moving quickly while managing our budget responsibly.
We look forward to your questions and to discussing these issues further. Thank you.
