Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
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Introduction
Good afternoon and thank you for inviting us to appear before your Committee.
Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people.
I am joined today by my colleagues: Scott Hutton, Vice-President of Consumer, Analytics and Strategy; Scott Shortliffe, Vice-President of Broadcasting; and Rachelle Frenette, General Counsel.
We are pleased to be here as you study Bill C-15.
Before we get to Committee members' questions, perhaps I can share a brief overview of the CRTC and some of the work we are doing for Canadians.
Overview of the CRTC
So let's start with a quick overview.
As you know, the CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. We hold public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and make decisions based on the public record.
The Commission consists of nine members: a Chairperson; a Vice-Chairperson for Broadcasting; a Vice-Chairperson for Telecommunications; and six regional Commissioners who are located across the country. The Commission is supported by a team of expert staff that help us make informed decisions.
Promoting competition and investment for Internet and cellphone services
I know that we are here to talk about Bill C-15, which makes an amendment to the Broadcasting Act, but let me begin by briefly touching on our other major line of work, namely, telecommunications.
In our meetings with Canadians across the country, we have heard how critical high-quality Internet and cellphone services are for employment, healthcare, education, safety, connecting with loved ones, and so much more. We have also heard what happens when there is a lack of meaningful connectivity. And those stories are troubling.
In 2019, the CRTC launched its Broadband Fund as part of a government-wide effort to help connect rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada.
Since then, we have allocated over $770 million to projects delivering Internet or cellphone services to over 54,000 homes in more than 320 communities. These projects are connecting critical institutions like schools, health care facilities, and community centres that people rely on every single day.
The CRTC's work to improve connectivity goes hand-in-hand with our efforts to strengthen competition and make Internet and cellphone services more affordable.
One of the ways we are helping provide Canadians with more choice is by allowing competitors to sell plans using the networks of large telecommunications companies.
For Internet services, over a dozen companies are using the access granted by our framework to provide competitive plans. And for cellphone services, competitors have expanded to 88 communities across seven provinces. So what does that mean? It means more choice when Canadians are looking for Internet and cellphone services.
And we are seeing positive movement on prices too. For example, according to Statistics Canada, prices for cellphone services decreased by 37.3% between 2021 and 2025.
At the same time, we want to ensure that we have a healthy and innovative industry. We know that networks are expensive to build and maintain. So we have put measures in place to make sure that companies keep investing.
Making sure that Canadians have access to high-quality networks and choice is one part of the equation. The other part is making sure that we can easily find those choices, can switch to plans that best meet our needs, and are not surprised by higher bills.
Last year, the CRTC launched a Consumer Protections Action Plan to help protect and empower Canadians. And to bring this plan to life, we initiated four public proceedings, covering everything from preventing bill shock, to limiting fees, to making it easier to compare offers and switch plans.
We will issue these decisions in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned.
Modernizing Canada's broadcasting framework
So that is some of our work in telecommunications. Now, let me share what we are doing in broadcasting.
As you know, through the Online Streaming Act, Parliament entrusted us with the mandate to modernize Canada's broadcasting framework and ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content.
Overhauling the decades-old regulatory framework is no small task. The changes that are required are substantial and complex.
We responded within days of the passage of the bill by launching a regulatory plan to facilitate participation and increase predictability.
One of our first key decisions under the new legislation required online streaming services to direct funding to areas of immediate need, such as local news on radio and television, French-language content, and Indigenous content. This will result in an estimated $200 million annually flowing into the Canadian broadcasting system.
We are continuing to take action in areas that matter to Canadians. For example, we have issued decisions to support local news on radio and television, particularly in smaller markets where there are fewer options. And we will be issuing more major decisions in the coming months.
Conclusion
To wrap up, we are doing work on multiple fronts. We are not finished yet, but we are making real, meaningful progress.
More Canadians now have access to high-speed Internet. There are more choices when it comes to cellphone services.
Stronger consumer protections are coming. And our broadcasting system is evolving to better reflect the Canada of today and tomorrow.
Thank you again for inviting us. We look forward to our discussion and to answering your questions.
