Combining existing, inconsistent protections into a unified code would reduce confusion for consumers and complexity for operators
The CRTC has made a number of interventions to enhance protections for end users
On 12 June 2026, the CRTC launched a public consultation on proposals to make consumer protections clearer and more consistent across broadband, mobile, fixed voice and TV (collectively, communications) services. The consultation represents just one of a series of actions taken following revisions to Canada’s Telecommunications Act in October 2025 to improve safeguards for end users, strengthen competition and improve service affordability. Recent CRTC interventions include helping prevent consumers from experiencing bill shock and enabling them to more easily change or cancel their broadband and mobile contracts. In March 2026, the regulator also eliminated extra fees to activate, change or cancel broadband and mobile plans, stating that the decision would give consumers greater flexibility to take advantage of better offers without worrying about unexpected costs.
The codes have delivered positive outcomes for consumers but are inconsistent across communications services
In Canada, there are currently four consumer codes of conduct to help guide the relationship between providers of communications services and their customers. The codes – which are binding, unlike the self-regulatory codes traditionally used to govern aspects of the telecoms sector in Australia – apply to:
Fixed voice services (the Deposit and Disconnection Code);
Mobile services (the Wireless Code);
TV, including cable, services (the Television Service Provider Code); and
Broadband services (the Internet Code)
The CRTC’s monitoring has shown that the codes have contributed to improved consumer experiences with operators. However, the codes were developed at different times to address different contexts. As a result, protections for consumers are not consistent across communications services, despite many consumers now purchasing broadband, mobile, fixed voice and TV services together as part of a bundle, which the regulator considers can be “confusing for customers and administratively burdensome” for operators. Through this latest consultation, published as part of its Consumer Protections Action Plan, the CRTC is therefore aiming to harmonise existing protections into a single code entitled the Consumer Protection Code (although this remains a working title at this stage).
Harmonising the codes would reflect the simplification priorities of regulators in the EU and the US
In a similar vein to the ‘Delete, Delete, Delete’ initiative of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US and the EC’s simplification agenda for the EU, in July 2025, the President of the Treasury Board in Canada announced a ‘Red Tape Review’ across the federal regulatory system, focusing on cutting unnecessary, duplicative or overly burdensome rules. In response, the CRTC has begun using a “regulatory burden lens” as it reviews and modernises its regulatory frameworks to ensure that they are both efficient and proportionate – although it has not ruled out extending certain service-specific protections across the broader set of retail services where “appropriate or effective”. Nevertheless, the CRTC considers that simplifying and consolidating the four codes into one would benefit operators by reducing complexity and compliance reporting obligations, and helping them resolve complaints faster. For consumers, it would make protections clearer and more consistent, enabling them to make more informed choices. The CRTC is accepting comments on its proposal until 11 August 11 2026, which will be followed by a public hearing starting on 30 November.
