Please note that starting November 4, 2019, the entire Canadian telecom industry will gradually implement universal call blocking in an attempt to prevent telephone fraud.

As a member of this industry, Fizz will be activating this feature for all its mobile service members.

Starting this November 4th, non-compliant numbers could therefore be blocked.

What is universal call blocking?

Universal call blocking is an automated feature, based on well-defined rules. The feature is designed to block calls that do not comply with international numbering plan standards to counter unwanted calls and telephone fraud.

Why is Fizz implementing this feature?

Actually, starting November 4, 2019, the entire Canadian telecom industry (which Fizz is a part of) will be gradually implementing universal call blocking to counter unwanted calls and support the fight against telephone fraud.

As a mobile phone service subscriber, you get all kinds of calls. The majority of them are legitimate; they come from family or friends. Others come from automated systems; even though some are honest calls (automated appointment reminders, for instance), a large number of them are unwanted and might actually be fraud related. That’s why Fizz, as a member of the Canadian telecom industry, will be implementing this feature for its members.

Do I need to pay for universal call blocking?

No, you won’t incur any additional charges for this feature. It’ll be gradually implemented nationwide by the Canadian telecom industry members, starting November 4, 2019.

How does this feature work? What kind of numbers will be blocked, and under which circumstances?

Universal call blocking is designed to automatically block any call it receives that does not comply with international numbering plan standards, which states that a telephone number cannot have more than 15 digits. As for the North American plan, it stipulates that a North American number:

is made up of 10 numbers, preceded by the country code (1), in compliance with the international standard;

has a valid area code (the first three numbers) that doesn’t start with “0” or “1”, or end with “11”.

contains a valid subscriber number (the 7 digits following the area code), meaning it doesn’t begin with “0” or “1”.

For instance, the following numbers would automatically be blocked: 1234, 012-345-6789, 611-234-5678 and 514-023-5678.

Can a legitimate call get blocked by mistake?

The universal call blocking feature is automated, based on well-defined rules. It’s possible, but highly unlikely, that a legitimate call gets blocked.

If, however, you seem to have issues receiving certain calls or texts that you suspect have been blocked by the system by mistake, log into your Fizz account and follow the procedures listed here:

Where can I get more information to counter unwanted and fraudulent calls?

We invite you to learn more about the solutions available to you for unwanted calls and scams here: CRTC’s telemarketing and unwanted calls page and North American numbering plan website.