Canadians no longer have to give a 30-day notice to cancel or change their television, internet or landline telephone service.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said it is “prohibiting television service providers from requiring that Canadians give 30 days’ notice prior to cancelling these services.”

It’s the first decision to come out of the regulator’s Let’s Talk TV hearings, which was considering whether to allow some major changes to the way television is delivered to Canadians.

The CRTC says it will require cable companies to adhere to the new rule by Jan. 23. The regulator also says the same rule will apply to switching internet providers or phone services.

The CRTC previously implemented a similar rule for cellphone contracts when it rolled out Canada’s wireless code last December.

“By prohibiting 30-day cancellation policies for television, internet and telephone (including voice over internet protocol) services, the CRTC has made it easier for individuals and small business customers to take advantage of a competitive marketplace by switching service providers,” the regulator said in a release.

The decision came in part because the CRTC believes Canadians were frustrated with the 30-day rule, which applied even at the end of a contract term.

“Some consumers end up paying two companies for the same service as they transition from one provider to another,” reads the release. That switch should make it easier for Canadians in a market where providers frequently change the plans they offer, the regulator reasoned.

source: CBC