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 I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people.
I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues, Scott Hutton, the Vice-President of Consumer, Analytics and Strategy, and Scott Shortliffe, our Vice-President of Broadcasting.
Before we get into the Committee members' questions, perhaps I can share an overview of the CRTC and some of the work we are doing from Canadians.
Overview of the CRTC
So let's start with a quick overview of the CRTC. As you know, we are 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.
As we all know, changes in the communications landscape are having an impact on Canadians and businesses. And we also know that everybody needs certainty. That is why the CRTC is moving quickly on multiple fronts while consulting broadly, because better policy happens when we listen - to individuals, to businesses, and to organizations that help bring diverse voices into the conversation.
Modernizing Canada's broadcasting system
With that context, let me touch on some of our work to help ensure that Canadians can tell their stories, and find, watch and listen tot the broadcasting content they are looking for.
Through the amended Broadcasting Act, Parliament has entrusted us with the mandate to set up a modern broadcasting framework. This includes ensuring that online streaming services support Canadian and Indigenous content.
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 TV, French-language content, and Indigenous content. This will result in an estimated $200 million annually flowing into the broadcasting system.
And our work is continuing. As one example, since issuing that decision, we have taken action to support local news on radio and TV, particularly in smaller markets where ther are fewer options.
We are continuing to consult through a number of public proceedings and will be issuing more decisions this fall that will fundamentally change the broadcasting system in Canada.
Promoting competition and investment in telecommunications
So that is a glimpse into our work on the broadcasting side. On the telecommunications side, we have heard how critical high-quality Internet and cellphone services are for employment opportunities, healthcare, education, safety, connecting with loved ones, and so much more.
As an example, just last week, my colleagues and I met with an Indigenous-led, non-profit community group in Winnipeg that shared with us the challenges that their community members are facing because of a lack of meaningful connectivity due in large part to affordability.
As we all know, these problems are not unique to Winnipeg. We have heard similar stories across the country, and we are sure that Committee members have as well. So we are doing our part to help address Internet and cellphone affordability and connectivity.
For Internet services, we have provided competitors with the ability to deliver more choice for Canadians at lower prices by allowing them to sell plans using the networks of large telephone companies. More than a dozen companies are already using the new framework to offer new options to consumers.
For cellphone services, we are allowing competitors to operate on the networks of Canada's large cellphone providers. Competitors are now offering Canadians service plans in new regions. According to Statistics Canada data, prices for cellphone services fell by 16.7% between 2023 and 2024.
At the same time, we want to ensure that we have a healthy, innovative industry. Tot that end, we put measures in place to make sure that companies keep investing in high-quality networks. That includes setting fair rates so large companies are paid for the cost of building fibre networks, and delaying competitive access to brand-new fibre until 2029.
As we continue to promote competition and investment for Internet and cellphone services, we are also doing our part to help connect rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada.
In 2019, the CRTC launched the Broadband Fund as a small part of a broad effort by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to address gaps in connectivity. To date, the CRTC has allocated more than $750 million to projects that provide Internet or cellphone services to nearly 50,000 homes in more than 290 communities.
And we are making ongoing improvements to the fund so we can connect more Canadians more quickly.
Consumer protections
So that is some of our work in telecommunications. The third and final area that I would like to touch on is our work to protect and empower consumers.
We have heard stories of Canadians facing unexpected increases in their monthly bills or high fees for cancelling their services. And we know that Canadians need simple and convenient self-service mechanisms to modify, right-size, or cancel their plans.
Last year, the CRTC launched a comprehensive Consumer Protections Action Plan to help protect and empower Canadians. And to bring this Action 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.
This is a crucial area of our work that will continue to be a focus for the CRTC. So stay tuned.
Conclusion
To wrap up, we are doing work on multiple fronts. We have touched on a few of them, but the list is long. We are also taking action in new areas like international roaming, service outages, and the Online News Act.
We are always listening to what Canadians need and we know that Committee members are as well.
We look forward to hearing your views and answering your questions. Thank you again for inviting us.
