The ''Telecommunications Act'' (french: Loi sur les télécommunications) is an Act of the Parliament of Canada that regulates
telecommunications
Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
by ensuring reliable services, protecting privacy, and to protect and encourage the Canadian media. The Act is administered by the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...
(CRTC) which reports to
Industry Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; french: Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada; french: ISDE, label=none)''Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal I ...
. It replaced the ''Railway Act'' of 1906, which governed telecommunication prior to 1993, making it the first full legislative scheme addressing telecommunications.
Among its stipulations are prescient regulations that, in spirit follow the general principles of
net neutrality
Network neutrality, often referred to as net neutrality, is the principle that Internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all Internet communications equally, offering users and online content providers consistent rates irrespective of co ...
decades before the telecommunications concept arose as a matter of public debate with the rise of the
internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
as a common telecommunications system. For instance, internet providers are considered utilities under this law in that they can't give "undue or unreasonable preference," nor can they influence the content being transmitted over their networks.
In November 2005, an amendment was passed to allow for the creation of a national
Do-not-call list A do not call list or do not call registry is a list of personal phone numbers that are off-limits to telemarketers in some countries.
Do not call lists may also be held privately by a company, listing numbers that they will not call.
National re ...
under section 41.
See also
* ''
Radiocommunication Act
The ''Radiocommunication Act'' (french: Loi sur la radiocommunication) is an Act of Parliament respecting radiocommunication in Canada. It was enacted in 1985.
The ''Radiocommunication Act'' is administered by the Government of Canada's Innovatio ...
''
References
External links
* Text of the Act
Department of Justice
Canadian federal legislation
Telecommunications law
1993 in Canadian law
Telecommunications in Canada
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