TekSavvy Welcomes Government Order to CRTC

New Policy Direction Requires CRTC to Promote Competition and Consumer Interests

CHATHAM, ON, June 18, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, TekSavvy Solutions Inc. (TekSavvy) welcomed the Government of Canada's new Policy Direction, which orders the CRTC to promote competition, affordability and consumers' interests in its oversight of Canada's telecommunications industry.

"Today the Government ordered the CRTC to put competition and consumers at the heart of its decision-making," said Marc Gaudrault, TekSavvy's CEO. "Now it is up to the CRTC to make decisions so that competition lowers prices and improves service offerings. TekSavvy is committed to growing in Canada, and we will continue to invest in infrastructure, innovations, and communities."

TekSavvy hopes the CRTC will quickly fix policies that deny consumer choice and keep prices high, such as by setting fair wholesale rates, removing Internet speed caps on competitors, and finally opening up the wireless sector for competition. In 2016, the CRTC rebuked the large carriers for breaking its wholesale rate-setting rules and called their behaviour "very disturbing". The large carriers overbilled more than $300 million that would have otherwise been passed on as savings to customers or invested in new infrastructure. The CRTC has not set final rates or refunded the overbilled amounts.

"This Policy Direction will set the CRTC on a path to promote a level playing field for all competitors," added Andy Kaplan-Myrth, VP Regulatory & Carrier Affairs. "It's time to remove barriers for Internet competition, and TekSavvy is ready to offer consumers a real choice for fibre Internet services and wireless services too."

"Canadians have been clear that they expect lower prices and more choices to stay connected," said Janet Lo, VP Privacy & Consumer Legal Affairs. "This directive is a major win for telecom consumers, who have long asked for real choice and affordable services. Consumers are best served by competition."

In March, TekSavvy launched its Pay Less to Connect campaign, which enabled more than 70,000 Canadians to send letters directly to their local Members of Parliament expressing frustration with high prices and little choice in the current system.

TekSavvy has been proudly serving Canadians with reliable telecom services for 20 years and has won numerous awards for the quality of its experience and for its commitment to fighting for and upholding consumers' rights online. With offices in Chatham, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec, TekSavvy is Canada's largest independent telecom service company with over 300,000 customers from coast to coast.

SOURCE TekSavvy Solutions Inc.