Today’s Regulatory Mix: CRTC Levies $200,000 Fine for Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules Violations, Montana Plan to Deploy Broadband
CRTC Levies $200,000 Fine for Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules Violations
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that CA Diffusion, better known as Physaro, has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty as part of a settlement for making non-compliant telemarketing calls. Physaro sells wellness products geared toward seniors. The CRTC revealed that Physaro committed several violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules. Between September 2018 and July 2019, millions of unsolicited calls were made to Canadians, including some of which were made to telephone numbers registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) and outside the permissible calling hours. Some calls were made when the company failed to purchase a subscription to the National DNCL.
Montana Plan to Deploy Broadband
Montana is seeking information on a new mapping platform to carry out the ConnectMT Act program directive to deploy broadband throughout the state. To help achieve this goal, the senate authorized the creation of a broadband map that will identify served as well as unserved and underserved areas. To this end, the Department of Administration has published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking a commercial solution that meets criteria outlined at :bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=StateOfMontana. Interested vendors must register in the electronic Montana Acquisition and Contracting System (eMACS). Additional information regarding eMACS vendors is available at spb.mt.gov/eMACS-Resources.
The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.