Mobile carriers urged to improve accessible phone plans for deaf and blind Canadians
The Toronto Star
23-05-21 14:00
On June 1, all major Canadian telecommunications companies must file reports on their accessibility efforts, following federal regulator CRTC's commitments to ensure wireless service accessibility for people with disabilities. In February, CRTC directed telecoms such as Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus Communications and Videotron to offer accessible plans, including larger data packages and true unlimited data packages for deaf and hard of hearing subscribers who rely more on video communication. Currently, major carriers offer $20 monthly rebates on mass-market plans and company-specific add-ons like discounts, promotions on apps and zero-rate on data from video relay services. These communities said that accessible plans should be capped at $35 per month and contain unlimited data, voice calling and texting without overage fees, no throttling and zero-rating for video conferencing applications.
The regulator said the Canadian companies were falling short of meeting the needs of these communities, as the resources offered were not affordable to those on low incomes or receiving disability benefits. The regulator’s surveys had indicated that people with disabilities are best served when companies provided a choice of wireless plans and services to select the one that meets their needs. In 2019, there were 14,453 subscribers to accessible plans across all Canadian carriers, a figure which CRTC regarded as significantly lower than expected. Companies in this story include Rogers (TSX:RCI.B), BCE/Bell Canada (TSX:BCE), Telus Communications (TSX:T) and Quebecor/Videotron (TSX:QBR.B).