Telecom providers facing significant service disruptions now face additional obligations under new rules instated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has announced the implementation of permanent network outage reporting regulations, aimed at improving consumer protections during service disruptions and enhancing network resiliency and reliability.

These new regulations, which take effect permanently on November 4, 2024, are a response to a consultation process initiated by the commission in 2023. The move comes in the wake of high-profile network outages, such as the one experienced by Rogers Communications in July 2022, which affected millions of customers for up to 15 hours.

Under the new regulations, communication service providers are mandated to report major network outages to the CRTC and other government authorities within two hours. After restoring service, carriers have 30 days to file a detailed report detailing the causes, effects, and steps taken to resolve the outage.

The CRTC's new consultations are part of its ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and consumer protection in the telecommunications sector. The consultations are initiated to gather industry opinions on improving consumer protections during internet, phone, or television outages.

The CRTC is also seeking insights to improve its response to network outages and their impact on consumers. The consultations aim to help the CRTC gather views on how network providers can enhance their network resiliency and reliability.

The new regulations are a permanent measure, replacing the interim rules that were previously in place. They are intended to help the industry and government limit future network disruptions. The regulations are aimed at providing transparency to consumers regarding network outages and their resolutions.

The CRTC's new consultations are intended to provide a platform for discussion on enhancing network resiliency and reliability. The consultations are a part of the CRTC's decision regarding its permanent network outage reporting regulations.

The government official managing the new regulations for communication service providers is typically the head or a designated official within the telecommunications regulatory authority or ministry responsible for communications in that country.

The CRTC's new consultations are a significant step towards ensuring that consumers are better protected during network outages and that the telecommunications sector operates with increased transparency and accountability.

Telecom providers facing significant service disruptions now face additional obligations under new rules instated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)