Telecommunications

Telecommunications is the transmission of voice, data or video over distance by wire, radio, optical or other electronic means, including phone, internet and wireless services. It is federally regulated in Canada. For most BC businesses, the relevant legal issues are service contracts with carriers, privacy, anti-spam rules for electronic marketing, and telemarketing rules.

How BC law treats it

Telecommunications carriers are regulated federally by the CRTC under the Telecommunications Act, SC 1993, c 38, and privacy in federally regulated businesses is governed by PIPEDA and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation is enforced jointly by the CRTC, the Privacy Commissioner and the Competition Bureau, and the CRTC enforces the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules.

What it means for your business

Before running email, text or phone marketing, confirm you have the required consent under anti-spam and telemarketing rules.

Risks and common mistakes

Sending commercial electronic messages without proper consent or an unsubscribe mechanism can lead to significant administrative penalties.

Fulcrum's privacy and data protection lawyers can help with these issues.

General information about British Columbia and Canadian law, current to October 2026. It is not legal advice.