Telecom Exec Could Make CRTC Less Consumer-Friendly, Advocates Warn

The appointment of telecom industry insider Ian Scott as the next chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has sparked concerns. The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes

GATINEAU, Que.—The appointment of telecom industry insider Ian Scott as the next chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has sparked both concerns that the regulator could soon be taken in a less consumer friendly direction and hope for a new direction.

Heritage Minister Melanie Joly announced Scott’s appointment July 18, while also naming Caroline Simard as the CRTC’s vice-chairwoman, saying the two have a “deep understanding of what Canadians expect in their telecommunications and broadcasting systems.”

Advocacy group OpenMedia said former chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, who chose not to reapply for the job when his term came to an end earlier this year, did a lot to open the telecommunications marketplace to increased consumer choice and affordability.

“This is a concerning choice by the government,” said OpenMedia communications manager Meghan Sali, who also noted that, under Blais, the regulator declared broadband Internet a basic service in Canada.

This is a concerning choice by the government.

— Meghan Sali, OpenMedia