Thanks in part to its $26 billion takeover of Calgary-based Shaw — or perhaps in spite of it — Rogers has become the most disparaged telecom company in Canada.According to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), Rogers took top spot for complaints from Canadians the first time since it began receiving them in its 15-year history following its merger with Shaw last year. It surpassed Bell for the dubious honour for the period between August 1 and July 31 2023.Vancouver-based Telus — formerly Alberta Government Telephones — came in third..Canada’s average of USD$5.37 (CAD$7.32) per gigabyte is 268 times more expensive than Israel where cell data costs two cents per gigabytes on average..The results further reinforce nagging perceptions that Canadians are paying too much for wireless and internet as the market continues to be dominated by just three major players.In its annual release the CCTS said disclosure issues, billing errors and complaints about promised credits or refunds not being applied were the top issues raised by Rogers’ customers. Rogers’ subscribers also raised more issues about the quality of their telecom services and complete loss of their telecom services than either Bell or Telus.And in fact, quality of services remained the top concern for customers among all service providers, said the CCTS report. Notably, complaints from customers experiencing a complete loss of service increased — with 93% more issues reported by wireless customers and 48% more issues from Internet customers.That was followed by clarity of information provided by service providers in their contracts, promotions and related documents. Each year, telecom and TV customers raise issues about ‘mismatches’ between what they expect to receive and what’s received, not being aware of contract details or promotion details and providing consent to account changes, CCTS said.Another bone of contention was complaints over roaming fees, which doubled for the second consecutive year. “This increase reflects instances where customers report incorrect charges from their service provider for use of wireless services outside of a defined local coverage (italics theirs),” it said..Zimbabwe has the highest data charges at USD$43.75 per GB..In December, Manitoba Conservative MP Dan Mazier introduced a private member’s bill — C-288 — to amend the Telecommunications Act to require Canadian carriers to make easily available certain information in respect of the fixed broadband services that they offer. Specifically, it aims to address issues in rural areas where people pay top dollar for internet that fails to live up to advertised speeds.It also requires the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to hold public hearings to inform its determinations on how Canadian carriers are to fulfill this obligation.The posting on openparliament.ca notes private members bills don’t often become law..In August, a CRTC report found Canadians pay some of the highest rates for wireless and internet services in the G7 and the world, blaming the so-called ‘Big Three’ — Rogers, Telus and Bell — for essentially cornering the telecom market.According to a report from cable.co.uk that compared cell data plans across 237 countries, Canada was ranked the 22nd most expensive country, averaging USD$5.37 (CAD$7.32) per gigabyte, just over 268 times more expensive than Israel where cell data costs two cents per gigabytes on average.Zimbabwe topped the list at US$43.75 per GB.That prompted Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to complain in January Rogers hadn’t implemented all of the nearly two dozen conditions attached to its merger with Shaw, which he personally approved last April. "Let's be clear, while some progress has been made to lower prices, Canadians still pay too much and see too little competition," he said in a statement on January 4. "That is why, last year, I issued a policy direction to the CRTC to make sure that competition, affordability and consumer rights would be at the core of CRTC decisions."
Thanks in part to its $26 billion takeover of Calgary-based Shaw — or perhaps in spite of it — Rogers has become the most disparaged telecom company in Canada.According to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), Rogers took top spot for complaints from Canadians the first time since it began receiving them in its 15-year history following its merger with Shaw last year. It surpassed Bell for the dubious honour for the period between August 1 and July 31 2023.Vancouver-based Telus — formerly Alberta Government Telephones — came in third..Canada’s average of USD$5.37 (CAD$7.32) per gigabyte is 268 times more expensive than Israel where cell data costs two cents per gigabytes on average..The results further reinforce nagging perceptions that Canadians are paying too much for wireless and internet as the market continues to be dominated by just three major players.In its annual release the CCTS said disclosure issues, billing errors and complaints about promised credits or refunds not being applied were the top issues raised by Rogers’ customers. Rogers’ subscribers also raised more issues about the quality of their telecom services and complete loss of their telecom services than either Bell or Telus.And in fact, quality of services remained the top concern for customers among all service providers, said the CCTS report. Notably, complaints from customers experiencing a complete loss of service increased — with 93% more issues reported by wireless customers and 48% more issues from Internet customers.That was followed by clarity of information provided by service providers in their contracts, promotions and related documents. Each year, telecom and TV customers raise issues about ‘mismatches’ between what they expect to receive and what’s received, not being aware of contract details or promotion details and providing consent to account changes, CCTS said.Another bone of contention was complaints over roaming fees, which doubled for the second consecutive year. “This increase reflects instances where customers report incorrect charges from their service provider for use of wireless services outside of a defined local coverage (italics theirs),” it said..Zimbabwe has the highest data charges at USD$43.75 per GB..In December, Manitoba Conservative MP Dan Mazier introduced a private member’s bill — C-288 — to amend the Telecommunications Act to require Canadian carriers to make easily available certain information in respect of the fixed broadband services that they offer. Specifically, it aims to address issues in rural areas where people pay top dollar for internet that fails to live up to advertised speeds.It also requires the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to hold public hearings to inform its determinations on how Canadian carriers are to fulfill this obligation.The posting on openparliament.ca notes private members bills don’t often become law..In August, a CRTC report found Canadians pay some of the highest rates for wireless and internet services in the G7 and the world, blaming the so-called ‘Big Three’ — Rogers, Telus and Bell — for essentially cornering the telecom market.According to a report from cable.co.uk that compared cell data plans across 237 countries, Canada was ranked the 22nd most expensive country, averaging USD$5.37 (CAD$7.32) per gigabyte, just over 268 times more expensive than Israel where cell data costs two cents per gigabytes on average.Zimbabwe topped the list at US$43.75 per GB.That prompted Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to complain in January Rogers hadn’t implemented all of the nearly two dozen conditions attached to its merger with Shaw, which he personally approved last April. "Let's be clear, while some progress has been made to lower prices, Canadians still pay too much and see too little competition," he said in a statement on January 4. "That is why, last year, I issued a policy direction to the CRTC to make sure that competition, affordability and consumer rights would be at the core of CRTC decisions."
