Telecom and TV providers urged to better inform customers about industry ombuds service
OTTAWA, Ontario, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new report from the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) reveals how well service providers have fulfilled their obligations to remain in good standing with the CCTS, Canada’s national telecom and TV industry ombuds. The 2024 Compliance Report Cards summarize providers’ compliance with specific requirements that include informing their customers about the CCTS’ free and impartial service, following the rules of CCTS’ complaint-handling process, paying required fees, and sharing necessary financial information with the CCTS.
“Canadians with unresolved phone, TV, or internet service complaints should be made aware about the CCTS by their providers,” says Janet Lo, CCTS’ Assistant Commissioner for Legal, Regulatory and Stakeholder Affairs. “Providers have a responsibility to inform customers about the CCTS on their websites, customer bills, and in their escalation processes. This year’s report cards show some progress on website information, but customers are still telling us that they are not being informed by their providers."
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requires all Canadian telecom and licensed TV service providers to participate in the CCTS and to comply with all CCTS requirements. The CRTC recently reminded the industry about its responsibility to inform customers that the CCTS can help resolve issues, and expressed concern that Canadians are not being made aware of the CCTS effectively.
Highlights of the CCTS Compliance Report Cards:
28% of audited service providers had no information about the CCTS on their websites. The CCTS engaged with these providers to make their websites compliant with the requirements. The report cards also noted that 43% of audited provider websites with a search function did not return search results for the CCTS, down from 52% of audited providers last year. All service providers the CCTS had previously flagged for repeated non-compliance with the search function requirement were compliant this year.
Service providers must not penalize or charge a customer fees for submitting a complaint. The report cards confirm one case in which a service provider threatened to remove a bill credit because the customer filed a CCTS complaint. The CCTS treats cases of a service provider making threats or taking action to impair a customer's right to submit a complaint to the CCTS as instances of major non-compliance. We worked quickly to inform the service provider that its actions were not allowed and the provider agreed not to remove the credit.
Better follow-through needed on complaint resolutions and Investigation Findings: The CCTS’ Mid-Year Report indicated that the CCTS resolved or issued Investigation Findings in over 10,000 complaints from August 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025. During that six-month period, the CCTS confirmed nine instances of service providers failing to implement resolutions to which they had agreed, or to implement remedies the CCTS required in an Investigation Finding. In all cases, the CCTS worked with these providers to fix the issues and ensure the customers obtained the required remedies.
The CCTS regularly engages with and educates phone, TV and internet service providers about their obligations. To help support provider compliance with the rules, the CCTS has provided many resources that explain and provide guidance on how to adhere to these requirements.
“Effective and efficient complaint handling benefits everyone involved — customers, service providers, and the CCTS,” says Ms. Lo. “Many providers are willing to work with the CCTS to better understand and resolve issues. It is essential that customers have access to a fair process and receive support from the CCTS when their telecom or TV concerns remain unresolved.”
About the CCTS: The CCTS is Canada’s national, independent telecom and TV ombuds organization dedicated to working with consumers and service providers. The CCTS provides impartial, fair, and effective complaint resolution services at no cost to consumers. Telecom and TV consumers can reach out to the CCTS for help and file a complaint if they are unable to resolve a dispute with their service provider.
Media contact: Nasha Brownridge, Director, Communications and Stakeholder Affairs
communications@ccts-cprst.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/964070b7-4184-4824-b59c-4bf9f7b0c161
Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS)
2024 Compliance Report Cards
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