Wireless Rules

From the Globe and Mail:

"CRTC’s new wireless rules let consumers cut the strings on long-term contracts"

Canada’s telecom regulator is making it easier for consumers to switch wireless providers, the centrepiece of a set of reforms aimed at creating greater competition and lower prices. In a surprise move, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said Monday its new wireless code will empower Canadians to cancel their cellphone contracts after two years without the sting of cancellation fees, even if they had agreed to a longer term.  Although the CRTC stopped short of banning three-year contracts, its new rule effectively spells the demise of those long-term agreements that slap consumers with penalties if they try to switch carriers prior to expiry. By tackling that hot-button issue, the commission says it is putting more “control” in the hands of consumers, making it easier for them to shop for better deals sooner while shielding them from “bill shock” with other measures that cap extra charges for data usage and international roaming, and other measures to enable consumers to more easily switch providers. The CRTC’s move comes as the federal government’s earlier effort at boosting competition, by enticing new entrants into the market, teeters toward collapse, with three independent upstarts up for sale. However, the government has not abandoned that strategy, with Industry Minister Christian Paradis to unveil a key decision Tuesday morning on whether large players will be able to acquire those upstarts. Carriers and some analysts warned the code could still result in higher prices for consumers, but the CRTC’s head said the changes will boost competition. Under the new rules, which come into effect in early December and are not retroactive, anyone signing a contract would pay the full cost of their handset within two years. That would free them to either get a new device sooner, or take their current phone to a new company if they think they can get a better deal.

^ I didn't realize that this was such a big issue, but I guess in Canada it is. Hopefully, this will benefit cell phone users. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/crtc