Our Mandate, Mission and What We Do
The CRTC is an administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest.
We are dedicated to ensuring that Canadians have access to a world-class communication system that promotes innovation and enriches their lives.
Our Mandate
Our mandate is entrusted to us by the Parliament of Canada, and administered through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It focuses on achieving policy objectives established in the Broadcasting Act, Telecommunications Act and Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL)
We do not intervene in newspapers, magazines, the quality and content of TV and radio programs or the retail rates for most communication services.
We deliver our mandate from offices in the National Capital Region.
Our Mission
We recognize the importance of communication services to Canadians. And we are dedicated to ensuring that the needs and interests of Canadians are at the centre of the system that provides those services.
The activities we engage in to ensure that Canadians have access to a world-class communication system are supported by three pillars:
- Create. The activities in this pillar ensure that Canadians have access to compelling creative content from diverse sources and on a variety of platforms, and that this content reflects Canada’s diversity and enables Canadians to participate in their country’s democratic and cultural life.
- Connect. These activities are aimed at ensuring Canadians can connect to quality and innovative communication services at affordable prices.
- Protect. We engage in activities that enhance the safety and interests of Canadians by promoting compliance with and enforcement of its regulations, including those relating to unsolicited communications.
In fulfilling our mission, we strive to be an institution that Canadians trust. And we are committed to providing tools that help Canadians make informed decisions in the marketplace.
What we do
At the CRTC, we engage in a wide range of activities. We supervise and regulate over 2,000 broadcasters, including TV services, AM and FM radio stations, and the companies that bring these services to you. We also regulate telecommunications carriers, including major telephone companies.
Our activities include:
- Licensing. We issue, renew and amend broadcasting licences. We also issue licences for international telecommunications services whose networks allow telephone users to make and receive calls outside of Canada.
- Promoting compliance with regulations. We promote compliance with the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, including the National Do Not Call List, and Canada’s anti-spam legislation .
- Making ownership decisions. We make decisions on mergers, acquisitions and changes of ownership in the broadcasting sector.
- Approving tariffs. We approve tariffs and certain agreements for the telecommunications sector.
- Encouraging competition. We encourage competition in telecommunications markets to ensure that Canadians have a choice of innovative and affordable services.
- Providing information. We respond to requests for information and concerns about broadcasting and telecommunications issues.
We listen and collaborate
To fulfill our mandate, we must understand the needs and interests of Canadians who make use of broadcasting and telecommunications services.
As a result, we regularly hold public hearings, round-table discussions, informal forums, and online discussion forums designed to gather Canadians' views about broadcasting and telecommunications services—information that we can then act on to serve the public interest.
We also attend regular meetings with our international counterparts in 25 countries to discuss new technologies, new market arrangements and emerging trends. Our experience with both broadcasting and telecommunications puts us in the unique position of being able to both learn from and help other regulators in the international community.
Read our 5-minute guide, It’s your CRTC: Here’s how to have your say!, to understanding and participating in our activities.
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