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With internet access increasingly critical to Canadians, it’s no shock the CRTC is moving toward a code. Yet the timing of a call surprised the industry.

The CRTC just wrapped up a government-mandated public inquiry into whether telecom providers use aggressive or misleading sales practices. At the October hearing, an internet code was discussed as a potential solution to some of the problems. Many internet-related complaints stemmed from the point of sale, where numerous customers reported a mismatch between what they thought they agreed to buy and the actual price or service they received.

Despite the overlap between the two files, the CRTC said the two proceedings are distinct. It called for public comments on whether an internet a code is needed, what should be in it and how it will be implemented, administered and enforced.

“While Internet services play an important role in the everyday lives of Canadians, the number of complaints has been trending up and we are of the view that a code for these services may be needed,” CRTC chairman Ian Scott said in a statement.

The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS), the watchdog that consumers turn to as a last resort if they can’t resolve problems with their provider, reported a 38 per cent increase in complaints about internet services in its 2016-17 annual report.

The CRTC’s suggestions for the code included requiring door-to-door salespeople to clarify time-limited discounts, demanding service providers notify customers when they’ve used their monthly data allotment, and insisting upon trial periods of up to 30 days where a customer can cancel free of charge.