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Results: 1 - 11 of 11
View Salma Zahid Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Salma Zahid Profile
2020-03-11 15:08 [p.1937]
Mr. Speaker, now more than ever Canadians rely on cellphones for their work, school, finances and health care, making access to high-quality and affordable service absolutely essential. However, cellphone and wireless bills are still putting too much strain on too many Canadian households.
Could the Prime Minister please update Canadians on the latest steps this Liberal government has taken to reduce cellphone prices?
View Justin Trudeau Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Justin Trudeau Profile
2020-03-11 15:08 [p.1937]
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Scarborough Centre for her continued advocacy on affordability for the middle class and her incredibly hard work.
In the last election we made a clear commitment to Canadians that we would lower their cellphone bills. Last week, we announced a clear plan to ensure that the three national cellphone providers offer plans 25% cheaper. This is one of the many ways we are making life more affordable for Canada's middle class and those working hard to join it.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
Madam Speaker, something our Parliament should be addressing is the fact that an emerging catalyst for inequality is access to fast, affordable and reliable Internet. As we have seen 4G technology revolutionize our economy with things like streaming services and apps like Uber, we have seen the disruptive impact this has had on the economy in a positive way, but that is only going to accelerate as we see 5G technology roll out over the next five years. When we already have an issue in this country between urban and rural divide, rich and poor, and we have to deal with the issue of reconciliation, we should be looking for ways to unite us through technology and through fast, affordable access to the Internet.
The reality is there are over a million Canadians who do not have any type of access and there are many more people in Canada who pay a lot more. It becomes an affordability and equality issue. Right now, most people in Canada pay five times more than an American does for data. We pay 10 times more than a European does.
When the Liberals talk about reducing cellphone bills by a certain percentage that is not even close to that without any sort of plan outside of maybe asking the telcos nicely and hope that they do this, it is really not addressing the issue of a catalyst for inequality in any sort of meaningful way. I am hoping that in this Parliament, the government will be open to working with the opposition on concrete, innovative ways to get access for everyone.
If over 100 years ago, or whatever the time period was, we built a railway across the Rocky Mountains and across the Canadian Shield, then surely we can figure out how to do things like lay infrastructure so that first nations communities are not separated from Canada and rural Canadians have the same access as urban Canadians do. We want urban and rural Canadians, everybody, to have access to a vital service that is the underpinning of our economy and of the economy of the future.
What I mean by working collaboratively is there are things the government needs to be stating its intent on. I would first point out it needs to signal whether it is going to uphold the ruling on MVNOs that allows for more competition in this space. That is something many Canadians are advocating for in order to ensure there is competitiveness so there is a market pressure downward on this type of access.
It would be interesting if the government signalled some sort of intent to look at new ways to auction spectrum. If we look at this building as having a value to the government, I am not sure we would just sell it off as is without any sort of requirement on how it is being used given how important it is to the Canadian people. We have to start looking at spectrum from the same perspective, that this is an asset that will become an underpinning of the Canadian economy in a much more integrated way and ask whether there are ways we can use this to better incent competition and better incent that fast, reliable and affordable access in Canada.
I do not want to hear these prepared talking points that do one of two things, such as, the Liberals are going to reduce cellphone bills by 25%. How? How are they going to do that, just by asking nicely? The second thing I do not want to hear about is a digital charter that has no teeth and no plan to implement.
View Ali Ehsassi Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Ali Ehsassi Profile
2020-02-06 18:43 [p.1070]
Madam Speaker, I am happy to respond to the comments from the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill regarding the affordability of telecommunication services for Canadians. I want her to know that we obviously agree with her assessment that there is an emerging catalyst for inequality and that we take affordability and standing up for consumers very seriously. We very much look forward to collaborating with her.
I can also say that I am not going to be responding by simply bringing up the digital charter. It is fair to say that we have done many things over the course of the past four years, and I would be very happy to recite those.
Our government has taken significant actions with both the regulator and industry to improve affordability, competition and consumer interests in telecommunications. Progress has been made.
Through these efforts, we have seen several developments. First, we have seen the introduction of lower-cost, data-only wireless plans. Second, we have experienced the creation of a new, discounted prepaid brand by a national carrier. Third, we have also seen $10-per-month Internet services for eligible low-income families.
We have applied competitive measures in spectrum auctions to ensure that regional and smaller wireless carriers have access to the spectrum they need to deploy high-quality networks. With this spectrum, regional carriers have been able to upgrade their networks and offer their customers the latest technologies and smart phones.
This has created a more competitive telecommunications market with increased options for Canadians. Regional wireless carriers can now offer compelling plans for consumers, often at lower prices than national carriers. National carriers have felt the pressure of regional competition, responding with new promotions. These are steps in the right direction.
Consumer interests have also been strengthened. This includes changes to the wireless code of conduct, pursuant to which carriers are now required to unlock mobile devices free of charge, and all mobile devices must now be sold unlocked. This change reduces barriers to switching providers when consumers find a better deal.
Another change is the right for the account holder, the person actually paying the bill, to be notified of data overcharges and approve of them, instead of the user. Other steps resulted in the creation of an Internet code of conduct to provide Internet consumers with the same protection they have for wireless and TV services. This measure came into effect last week.
Finally, as a commitment to Canadians, we have been clear that we are going to work to reduce cellphone costs by 25%.
In sum, much has been accomplished to date, but much more remains to be done.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
Madam Speaker, I do not think there is any Canadian who would say that there has been any material change to make their access more affordable and more reliable. I am flanked by colleagues right now who represent that swath of rural Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and this is something that is worth fighting for.
I want to put the government on notice that in this Parliament, this issue is going to be a big priority for our caucus on this side of the aisle. It is unfair, to both individual Canadians and to businesses, to not be addressing this issue as a pressing, urgent matter. The 25% is a talking point that has no plan behind it. That is not going to cut it.
What I would like the parliamentary secretary to do right now is make a commitment that perhaps by the end of this Parliament, all Canadians, including the farthest-to-reach Canadians, will have fast, affordable Internet access.
View Ali Ehsassi Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Ali Ehsassi Profile
2020-02-06 18:48 [p.1071]
Madam Speaker, let me assure the hon. member that there is no need to put us on notice. We are very much focused on the issue that she is speaking to today.
I will reiterate that the government has acted to improve the affordability of wireless and Internet services for Canadians. Progress has been made, but there remains more to be done.
Because of the policy direction given in 2019, the CRTC must now take into consideration affordability, competition, consumer interests and innovation in all its decisions. This will apply to the current CRTC review of mobile wireless services, which is looking at competition in the retail market, the wholesale regulatory framework, as well as the future of mobile wireless services in Canada.
In short—
View Heather McPherson Profile
NDP (AB)
Mr. Speaker, it is becoming more expensive for average Canadians to pay their bills. Costs are going up across the country, and in Alberta in particular, families are struggling. Car insurance rates have gotten more expensive, electricity bills are higher and just this week parents are learning that they will have to pay out of their own pockets for their kids to ride the school bus.
On top of all this, Canadians are still paying some of the highest fees for cellphones and Internet bills in the world because the government refuses to do what is right and put the needs of people ahead of the demands of the telecom industry.
No matter where people live in Canada, they should be able to stay connected without breaking the bank. Wishing, hoping and claiming that industries regulate themselves just will not work. Canadians need a price cap on their cellphone and Internet bills.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Speaker, more MVNOs will have an impact in Canada. Recent rulings, which could allow for more MVNOs, are being heavily appealed. It is a heated issue, with extensive lobbying being placed on many members of the House.
Given the importance of this issue, can the Prime Minister tell the House his vision for MVNOs in Canada, if he thinks they are important or not, and his government's position on recent related rulings that he is being requested to intervene in?
View Justin Trudeau Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Justin Trudeau Profile
2019-12-11 15:08 [p.274]
Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment in the last election to decrease cellphone bills by 25% for Canadians. That is something that we will do by working with the industry. If they do not bring down their prices, we will bring in significant measures around more competition in the industry to provide better options and opportunities for Canadians. This is a commitment we have made. It will save Canadian families thousands of dollars. We know that lowering cellphone prices is a priority for Canadians that we are going to take up.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Speaker, today Canadians pay the same amount for five gigabytes of data as an American pays for 12 gigabytes, and the difference is even more stark compared to what a European pays. It is not fair to Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet and it makes us uncompetitive.
Over four years, the Liberals have always put Canada's big wireless companies first, as opposed to lowering costs for Canadians with innovative spectrum licence designs or other ways of getting low-cost wireless access for Canadians. Why?
View Navdeep Bains Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, that is a very thoughtful question on an issue that we campaigned on. We were very clear that we are going to reduce cellphone bills by 25%, and this is above and beyond the actions we have taken to help consumers. We brought forward a policy directive that makes it very clear to CRTC to make affordability front and centre. We have also dealt with consumer-related issues when it comes to high-pressure sales tactics, which has led to a new wireless code of conduct, as well as an Internet code of conduct.
We are going to remain committed to making sure that we use spectrum in a strategic way to help consumers.
Results: 1 - 11 of 11

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