PIAC awarded costs from VOIS proceedings

The CRTC has ordered VOIS Inc. to pay the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) a little over one thousand dollars for work done that eventually led to a non-compliance ruling against the Alberta-based telecom. The costs were incurred by PIAC during the proceeding against VOIS, which was found to be in violation of the terms of the Telecommunications Act for being expelled from the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS). VOIS subsequently missed the deadline to rejoin the CCTS. In the Friday decision, the CRTC found PIAC’s representation of the public and of Vois’ subscribers to be “focused, structured, and concise,” in determining eligibility for recouping the amount of $1,008.75. “Further, its submissions involved concrete proposals as to how the interests of affected subscribers might be taken into account in the Commission’s determination of the issues.” The decision also pointed to VOIS’ previous actions. “Given VOIS’ past behaviour with respect to Commission proceedings, wherein it has neglected to respond to specific Commission directions, it would be consistent with the objectives of the Commission’s costs award regime if the applicant had a broader range of potential recourses in order to ensure that it is able to recover the costs it has been awarded,” the decision said. PIAC, which filed the cost application in January, asked the CRTC to fix them at $970.71. The order, the date from which VOIS has 60 days to comply, was also registered in federal court. The decision comes in the same week PIAC’s executive director John Lawford made public that the organization may have to close shop due to delays in payments from when it previously appeared in front of the commission. Lawford told The Wire Report in an email that the group is waiting on about $150,000 in claimed cost awards, but launched a public appeal for donations because it needs about $50,000 in order to be able to make it through to February.

PIAC awarded costs from VOIS proceedings

Brief | November 13, 2017

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PIAC awarded costs from VOIS proceedings

Brief | November 13, 2017

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