Resource Type: Parent

Responding to Extreme Weather and other Natural Disasters

How Canada’s telecommunications service providers are working to keep you connected

Click here to download this report.

Severe and destructive weather events and other natural disasters are becoming more frequent, with hurricanes and other high wind events, snow and ice storms, flooding, and wildfires being just some of the natural catastrophes that have struck communities across Canada in recent years.

Service providers are aware that Canadians depend on them to stay connected, especially during an emergency. That is why they have made it a priority to make their networks strong and resilient in the face of extreme weather and natural disasters.

When a severe weather event or other disaster is forecast, our members monitor and make extensive preparations, such as:

  • Setting up an emergency operations centre
  • Inspecting fibre and cable routes and where possible removing trees/limbs that pose risks
  • Halting any non-essential network changes to avoid unnecessary disruptions
  • Reducing power consumption at cell sites so that batteries and generator fuel last longer
  • Fueling and testing generators and vehicles and ensuring sufficient fuel reserves
  • Adding personnel and equipment from other regions to support the affected area
  • Positioning generators and repair teams based on expected path of storm at critical parts of the network
  • Contacting and coordinating with:
    • provincial Emergency Management Office (EMO)
    • power utilities
    • Federal, provincial, and local government officials
    • other network providers and local partners
  • Communicating with customers about the storm via social media, SMS, email, and websites.

During an Event

While a severe weather event is in progress, service providers monitor their networks, manage, and reroute traffic flows as needed and identify any parts of the network that require repair work once it is safe to do so.

Service providers use their social media accounts, websites, and other tools to inform customers of material service disruptions.

As needed, our industry works with governments and other partners to coordinate restoration work. For example, we may work with power companies to prioritize the areas that need power restored before they can begin any necessary repairs.

If it’s safe to do so, crews are dispatched to assess damage, begin repairs, and if necessary, refuel generators and reposition back-up power generators to keep services running.

Restoration of Services

In many cases, internet and landline phone service outages are due to power outages in customers’ homes or businesses and once power is restored, internet and home phone services are automatically restored.

Where services are impacted by damage to network infrastructure, such as downed poles, cut cables, or damaged equipment, repairs begin immediately depending on public safety priorities and the ability to safely access impacted locations. This can include the repair or replacement of cables and equipment, and the repositioning, replacement, or optimization of wireless antennas to ensure ideal wireless coverage.

Where restoration is dependant on work being performed by others, such as power restoration, it may not be possible to provide accurate estimates on service restoration until that work is completed.

Safely restoring services is our member’s number one priority and restoration efforts continue until all customers have been reconnected.

How You Can Prepare for Extreme Weather and other Emergencies

Despite the extensive preparations made by our industry, power supply, poles and cables, and other equipment can still be impacted by extreme weather and other natural disasters, resulting in temporary service outages.

To prepare for such an event, there are steps you can take to protect you and your family.

To learn more please consult Preparing for Severe Weather Events & Other Emergencies.

Preparing for Severe Weather Events & Other Emergencies

Steps you can take to help protect you and your family

Click here to download this report.

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and snow and ice storms are becoming more commonplace endangering Canadians, damaging property, and posing a risk to critical infrastructure, including telecommunications networks.

Canadian telecommunications providers are continually investing to strengthen their networks to better withstand extreme weather events and other natural disasters. They have also partnered with governments, public safety officials, power companies, and each other to help maintain connectivity when people need it most.

Despite these preparations, power supply, poles and cables, and other equipment can still be impacted, sometimes resulting in temporary service outages. To prepare, there are steps you can take to protect you and your family.

Prior to Event

1. Monitor Weather and Be Ready for Emergency Alerts

While some extreme weather events occur suddenly, most are forecasted days in advance. You can track approaching inclement weather in a variety of ways, such as smartphone weather apps, online weather services, and through local news.

Wireless Public Alerts (WPAs) are emergency alerts issued by authorized government and emergency management officials to warn the public about a variety of matters, including extreme weather events and natural disasters, and often provide directions from public safety authorities. More info on the Alert Ready system, including details on device compatibility can be found at www.alertready.ca.

2. Prepare for Power Outages

Even if telecommunications networks have not been damaged by a severe weather event, a power outage at your home or business can impact your ability to access the internet or make phone calls. To prepare for power outages:

➜ Fully charge devices

When you know a storm or other extreme event is approaching, make sure your devices, like your smartphone and laptop, are fully charged. It is helpful to have charged back up batteries or power banks, and extra chargers such as car chargers or solar powered charging devices.

➜ Backup Power Supply

While backup generators are the ultimate solution for home and business power outages, especially when an extreme weather event causes a prolonged outage, there are more affordable solutions, such as an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), that can power essential communications equipment like your internet modem, Wi-Fi router, and cordless phone.

➜ Understand your home phone service

Loss of power to your home will impact most home phone services (i.e., cordless phone and VoIP phone modems require power). You should determine if your phone or phone service rely on your home power supply. If they do, obtaining a backup power supply should be considered.

3. Create an Emergency Communications and Critical Information Plan

Create an emergency communications plan that includes the contact information of close family and friends, as well as direct phone numbers of local services (e.g., fire department, nearby hospital, police service, school, and veterinarian).

Periodically take photos and/or video of your property and valuable items for insurance purposes. Back up files and copies of important documents, like insurance policies, in secure storage such as a cloud storage service.

During Event and Recovery Period

4. Preserve Battery Power

While it can be tempting to use your devices for entertainment as you wait for power restoration, if you do not have a reliable source of backup power you should take steps to preserve battery power for as long as possible. These include:

  • Adjusting the settings on your devices for low battery use and turn down screen brightness
  • Turning off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and location-based services when you don’t need them
  • Using a battery-powered radio to get updates on local weather conditions and critical information from local emergency management authorities
  • Only using your battery-powered devices for essential purposes

5. Help Reduce Network Congestion

During a large-scale emergency such as a natural disaster, mobile networks can become congested with an influx of mobile voice calls and data traffic. This can hinder people’s ability to contact emergency services and affect communications among emergency service personnel. To reduce network congestion:

  • Do not use your mobile phone to make phone calls unless it is an emergency
  • Use SMS/texting or email to connect with others. These services use less network capacity and may work even when phone service has been interrupted
  • If you must make a phone call, keep your conversation as short as possible, and if your call is not connected wait at least 10 seconds before redialing
  • Do not use mobile wireless networks for data-intensive uses, like streaming video or non-emergency related internet use

6. Placing 9-1-1 Calls

If you have a working landline phone and a mobile phone, use the landline phone to help reduce traffic on mobile networks.

Mobile phone service is designed for 9-1-1 calls to default to whatever wireless network is available. In other words, provided it has power and is within range of a wireless network, a mobile phone can make a 9-1-1 call even if your service provider does not have an operational cell tower nearby or your phone does not have a SIM card.

Due to increased network congestion because of the natural disaster or because your device is seeking an alternate service provider’s network, it may take a few seconds longer for your 9-1-1 call to connect. If your call is not immediately connected, wait a few seconds to allow your device to make a connection. If your call is not connected, hang up and wait 10 seconds before redialing. Do not immediately redial.

If you are still unable to successfully place a 9-1-1 call, try removing or turning off your device’s SIM card. In rare circumstances, the presence of the SIM card may prevent your device from connecting to an alternative service provider’s network.

The Wireless Code 

Protecting your wireless rights 

The CRTC’s Wireless Code came into effect in December 2013 and was updated in 2017. It details the basic rights for all mobile wireless service consumers and small business customers and establishes rules that service providers must follow. 

The Wireless Code makes it easier for wireless consumers to:

  • understand their mobile service plan;
  • change providers;
  • avoid unexpected charges; and
  • determine if a service is right for them during a trial period

The full text of the Wireless Code can be seen here. Consumers may also consult their service providers’ website for more information about the Wireless Code.

Postpaid or prepaid?

A summary of differences in the way the Wireless Code addresses postpaid versus prepaid services can be found here.   

Accessible Wireless Code resources

A series of videos have been developed in American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), which include voice-over and transcripts, to assist persons with a variety of disabilities understand their rights under the Wireless Code. These videos can be found here.    

File a report  

If you think that your rights under the Wireless Code are not being respected, you should first try to resolve the issue with your service provider. If you are unable to resolve the issue, you may contact the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Inc. at: 

Mail: P.O. Box 560067, Minto Place RO, Ottawa ON K1R 7Z1 

TTY: 1-877-782-2384 

Website: www.ccts-cprst.ca 

Email: [email protected] 

Toll-free: 1-888-221-1687 

Fax: 1-877-782-2924 

The Internet Code

Protecting consumers’ internet rights

The CRTC’s Internet Code came into effect on January 31, 2020. It establishes the basic rights for retail fixed internet access service customers of facilities-based internet service providers listed in the Internet Code.  

The Internet Code was created to: 

  • Make it easier for customers to obtain and understand the information in their internet service contracts; 
  • Establish consumer-friendly business practices for the internet service industry; 
  • Contribute to a dynamic internet service market; and  
  • Further certain policy objectives set out in section 7 of the Telecommunications Act

The full text of the Internet Code can be seen here. Consumers may also consult their service providers’ website for more information about the Wireless Code.

Accessible Internet Code resources

A series of videos have been developed in American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), which include voice-over and transcripts to assist persons with a variety of disabilities under their rights under the Internet Code. Videos can be found here.   

File a report  

If you think that your rights under the Internet Code are not being respected, you should first try to resolve the issue with your service provider. If you are unable to resolve the issue, you may contact the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Inc. at: 

Mail: P.O. Box 560067, Minto Place RO, Ottawa ON K1R 7Z1 

TTY: 1-877-782-2384 

Website: www.ccts-cprst.ca 

Email: [email protected] 

Toll-free: 1-888-221-1687 

Fax: 1-877-782-2924 

Emergency calls and public safety

Keeping you connected in crisis

Mobile phones are an important part of everyday life — but in cases of an emergency, they can be a lifeline. The following resources provide helpful information on ways that mobile phones can be used to protect Canadians.

Wireless Public Alerting (WPA)

Wireless Public Alerting delivers critical and potentially lifesaving alerts to Canadians through their mobile devices. Learn more about Alert Ready and how emergency alerts can affect you here.

Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1)

T9-1-1 is available to you if you are part of the Deaf, deafened, Hard-of-Hearing or speech-impaired community in Canada. During an emergency, T9-1-1 provides 9-1-1 call centres with the ability to converse with you using text messaging.

Members of the community are encouraged to visit textwith911.ca to learn more about T9-1-1, including information about how to register with their service provider.

Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1)

Since 2010, the wireless industry and the public safety community have been providing further location identification information for Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) service for cell phone users.

Previously, a 9-1-1 call taker would have received the cellular phone number and the location of the nearest cell site or cell tower when a call was placed to 9-1-1 from a cell phone. Now, in addition to the phone number, the call taker will receive more precise information based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of where the handset is located. This new technology provides the approximate location of the mobile handset but does not provide an exact “pinpoint location”.

E9-1-1 service is available in most parts of the country where wireline E9-1-1 service exists. Wireless service providers have deployed the technology across their coverage areas, however, there remain several public safety answering points (PSAPs), or 9-1-1 call centres, that are unable to accept the new location information and complete end-to-end testing with the wireless carriers. The wireless industry and the public safety community are working together to make sure E9-1-1 service is available in all areas of the country where wireline E9-1-1 service exists. Cell phone users should be prepared to provide a 9-1-1 call taker with their exact location as best they can.

You may have already received, or will receive, information about the enhancements to 9-1-1 from your wireless service provider. Customers are encouraged to contact their wireless service provider with any questions about E9-1-1 service in their area.

Most cell phones on the market today are equipped with GPS functionality. GPS functionality can be turned off by cell phone users. However, the 9-1-1 call may override GPS functionality that has been turned off on a cell phone. In addition, some wireless service providers may employ non-GPS technology known as triangulation or may be using a combination of GPS and triangulation, to provide the enhanced location information. Even though the 9-1-1 call taker may now receive handset location, it is important for cell phone user to remember they should always try to assist the 9-1-1 call taker by providing their exact location as best they can.

Most cell phones on the market today are designed to automatically allow the provision of handset location technology for calls to 9-1-1. Customers should contact their wireless service provider if they have any questions about their handset and/or the location identification technology used by their provider.

No. Most cell phones on the market today are designed to automatically allow the provision of handset location technology for calls to 9-1-1. Customers should contact their wireless service provider if they have any questions about their handset and/or the location identification technology used by their provider.

Yes. The location identification information will be provided to the 9-1-1 call taker whether you are using prepaid or postpaid service.

Possibly. In some cases, a call to 9-1-1 from a deactivated cell phone will reach a 9-1-1 operator. However, because that phone is not associated with any particular wireless service provider, the 9-1-1 operator will not be supplied with a dialable phone number. In the event of a call disruption, the call taker would not be able to call back. The operator may receive information about the cell site or cell tower that is transmitting the call, but they will not be provided with longitude and latitude coordinates.

Using your mobile phone in an emergency

Your mobile phone can be a lifeline in a crisis. Learn more about using your device in an emergency here.

Wireless number portability

About Wireless Number Portability

Wireless Number Portability (WNP) refers to a wireless consumer’s ability to change service providers within the same general metropolitan area or local calling area and keep their existing phone number. WNP also allows consumers to move a phone number from a wireline phone to a wireless phone and vice versa.

Frequently asked questions

WNP allows you to switch from one service provider to another within the same general metropolitan area or local calling area. Your prospective new service provider will be able to tell you if they can provide service for your current phone number. Only active telephone numbers are eligible to be transferred.

Review your existing contract or service agreement to find out what fees or charges would apply to cancel your service before your contract is complete. You can transfer your number to a new service provider at any time, but you will be obligated to pay any early cancellation fees identified in any existing contract, as well as any outstanding balance.

Do NOT cancel your current service — only active telephone numbers are eligible to be transferred to a new service provider. Instead, contact the service provider you want to switch to first. The new service provider will contact your old service provider to transfer your phone number.

Wireless-to-Wireless Customers – If you can, bring your wireless phone and most recent monthly bill with you when you visit your new prospective service provider. If you don’t have a bill, your new service provider will need to know your telephone number and one of the following: your account number; your password /PIN; or your phone’s ESN/IMEI numbers, which are located on the back of your phone under the battery. Your new service provider can help you identify your ESN (Electronic Serial Number) or IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

Wireline-to-Wireless Customers – If you can, bring your most recent monthly bill with you when you visit your new prospective service provider. If you don’t have a bill, your new service provider will need to know the telephone number, the account holder’s name and the service address.

Wireless-to-Wireline Customers – If you can, bring your wireless phone and most recent monthly bill with you when you visit your new prospective service provider. If you don’t have a bill, your new service provider will need to know your wireless telephone number and one of the following: your account number; your password /PIN; or your phone’s ESN/IMEI numbers, which are located on the back of your phone under the battery. Your new service provider can assist you to identify your ESN (Electronic Serial Number) or IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

Your new service provider will help you determine if you need a new phone. You will require a new service plan from your new provider.

No. With Wireless Number Portability, your phone number is the only thing you are transferring to your new service provider. You will have to arrange for new calling features, such as voice mail, call forwarding, caller ID, etc. As well, it is important to check whether any other services that may be connected to your phone number, such as Internet services, directory listings or alarm and security systems, might be impacted by transferring your phone number to a new service provider.

Each telephone number must be transferred individually. Remember that you are only transferring the telephone number and not the services associated with your current provider. Your new service provider will assist you in choosing a new service plan for the number or numbers you are transferring. If you are transferring some but not all of the numbers you have with your current service provider, you may be required to make new service plan arrangements with your current service provider for the telephone numbers you are not transferring.

As long as the phone number is currently active, it is possible to transfer a phone number from a prepaid wireless service. However, if the prepaid service has been dormant, the phone number may have been deactivated. Each wireless service provider has their own policy regarding how long prepaid numbers can be inactive before they are deactivated. If you are transferring a phone number from a prepaid service, you will not be able to transfer any prepaid minutes or other service elements from your current provider.

If you are transferring your phone number from one wireless service provider to another wireless service provider, your new voice service should be activated within 2.5 business hours. If you are transferring a wireline number to a wireless service provider, or vice versa, the service should be activated within two business days.

Your old phone should work while you are waiting for your number to be transferred to a new service provider. There may be a short period of no service.

WNP allows consumers to move a phone number from a wireline phone to a wireless phone (and vice versa). Your prospective new service provider will be able to tell you if they can provide service for your current phone number.

No. Only active phone numbers are eligible to be transferred.

You cannot transfer a number used for paging services, but you can transfer a number you currently use for a fax machine.

All service providers do their best to obtain the appropriate authorization for phone number transfer requests from the contract holder or customer of record. In the event of a situation where there has been an unauthorized number transfer, the customer should contact their original service provider to have the number transferred back.

You can transfer your number to a new service provider at any time, but you will be obligated to pay any early termination fees identified in any existing contract and be obligated to pay any outstanding balance.

A service provider can only refuse to transfer a telephone number if the phone number has previously been terminated or suspended by the service provider. In some cases, number portability may not be available in your area. Your prospective new service provider will be able to tell you if they can provide service for your current phone number.

There should be no disruption to 9-1-1 during the phone number transfer process from one wireless service provider to another wireless provider. However, always be sure to provide the emergency call-taker with your wireless phone number and your location as best you can. In the case of transferring a wireless phone number to a wireline service provider and vice versa, there is a potential delay of up to 24 hours in ensuring the correct customer/location information is added to or deleted from the wireline service provider’s database. Be sure to provide the emergency call-taker with your wireline phone number and your address or location.

Radiofrequency safety standards

Radiofrequencies and your health

Mobile communications devices such as smartphones have become much more pervasive over the last decade. Misinformation has continued to circulate, however, about the safety of exposure to wireless technology. Unfortunately, many of these misconceptions are based on previously debunked myths about radiofrequency (RF) energy.

In reality, the RF energy that mobile devices emit is both strictly regulated and hundreds of times below the limit at which health effects could occur. To make it easier for Canadians to access such up-to-date information on the topic, we have put together the following summary of facts about RF exposure, as well as the findings that government agencies and international bodies have reported to date.

To learn more about 5G Wireless and RF Safety, read our latest publication here.

Radiofrequency (RF) energy and wireless communications

Electromagnetic energy (EME) refers to the different kinds of energy released into space. Some EME, like energy released from the Sun and other stars, lightning, and the Earth’s magnetic field, is naturally occurring, while other types of EME, such as radar, TVs, mobile phones, microwaves and x-rays, is generated by human-made sources.

Radiofrequency (RF) energy is the form of EME used in communications technologies like television, radio and mobile phones. It has been used for more than 100 years beginning with the introduction of broadcast radio.

A brief overview of the electromagnetic spectrum can be found here.

Are RF energy and wireless communications safe?

The potential health effects of RF energy used for mobile phones and other wireless services has been studied for decades. Research by Health Canada and international bodies including the World Health Organization has produced no substantiated evidence of harmful effects from RF technologies used within existing safety standards. There is consequently no basis for finding that mobile wireless communications poses a health hazard to the Canadian public.

What do the experts say?

Please consult this page to see in more detail what government agencies and international bodies have to say about RF safety issues.

What is 5G?

5G or “fifth generation” refers to the next generation of mobile wireless standards and technologies. 5G will operate on the spectrum currently used by 3G and 4G devices, as well as frequencies above 6GHz, also known as millimetre wave (or mmWave) spectrum. These radio-frequencies are all considered to be low-energy frequencies and have been safely used in for years in multiple wireless applications. To learn more about 5G please visit www.5gcc.ca.

Is 5G Safe?

The advanced capabilities of 5G will result in even faster mobile data speeds, enable innovative new products and services, and help connect more Canadians to the internet. But as with the introduction of other new technologies, 5G can be the subject of misunderstanding and, in some cases, deliberate misinformation. Contrary to this misinformation, there are no established health risks from the radiofrequency waves used in 5G networks in accordance with applicable safety standards.

There is additionally no scientific basis for claims that the deployment of 5G infrastructure is related to the transmission of COVID-19. This has been confirmed by both Canadian and international authorities, including Health Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO).
5G devices and antenna systems in Canada will also remain subject to the same RF exposure standards as other wireless equipment, which already contain strict safety limits that cover 5G frequencies.

For more information on 5G, please refer to Setting the Record Straight on 5G Wireless & RF Safety.

How does the Government of Canada ensure your safety?

Canada’s approach to RF safety is among the most stringent in the world. Health Canada has established guidelines for safe exposure to RF energy, known as Safety Code 6 (SC6), which utilizes very conservative limits set at least 50 times below the threshold of any potential adverse health effects.

The exposure limits in Safety Code 6 are based on Health Canada’s ongoing research into radiofrequency health effects, RF research conducted by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and reviews of the latest relevant scientific literature published around the world.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) uses Safety Code 6 in setting its standards and regulations for RF exposure limits for wireless devices and associated infrastructure, such as antennas. All wireless devices must meet ISED’s requirements and be certified before being sold in Canada. Antenna installations must also meet ISED’s requirements at all times as a condition of a carrier’s license.

Canada’s mobile network operators consistently monitor their networks, and ISED audits wireless devices and antenna installations to ensure compliance with safety standards.

Are Canada’s RF safety standards similar to those in other countries?

Canada’s science-based safety standards are consistent with the safety standards used in other parts of the world, including the United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

If RF energy is safe, why is there a need for safety standards?

RF energy is non-ionizing, meaning it does not affect the chemical bonds between cells and tissue. However, at high levels of exposure, RF energy can cause heating of the body. For this reason, governments set exposure limits. In Canada, those limits are at least 50 times below the level at which heating caused by RF energy is known to have an observed effect.

What is ‘Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity’?

At the same time as misinformation is being spread about the safety of RF energy, a number of people have claimed to experience health symptoms as a result of exposure to electromagnetic fields. Collectively, these symptoms are sometimes described as Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS).

As part of its review of scientific literature on the potential health effects of electromagnetic energy, Health Canada will continue to investigate the question of electromagnetic hypersensitivity. From its research to date, Health Canada has concluded that scientific evidence has “failed to show [the symptoms claimed as a result of EHS] are caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields.”

How can I limit my wireless RF exposure?

Health Canada does not call for taking specific steps to avoid RF from wireless networks, as exposure levels in Canada are far below the safety limits set by the federal government. Individuals may choose to limit their personal exposure to wireless RF, however, by shortening the length of wireless phone calls; substituting calls with text messages; or using accessories such as headsets, speakerphones or earpieces to increase the distance between a user and the device.

Canadians can also check the SAR rating (an indication of the amount of RF energy that the device emits) for specific mobile products. SAR ratings can be found using the Innovation Canada Radio Equipment List page and searching for the alphanumeric Certification Number printed on each device. (SAR values may not always represent the exact amount of RF energy absorbed during everyday use, since they are based on the energy that a device emits when on its highest power setting.)

Additional resources

Towers and antennas

Facts about towers and antennas

1. Importance of Wireless Infrastructure

Canadians depend on wireless networks to facilitate their digital interactions with family, friends, businesses, and the public sector. To provide as many regions and communities as possible with access to these networks, deploying wireless equipment remains a key part of building Canada’s communications infrastructure.

Due to the importance of wireless infrastructure in Canada, wireless sites and equipment are subject to a well-established framework of rules. Based on Health Canada’s Safety Code 6, these rules are continuously updated to stay consistent with international standards, and are used by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to regularly audit wireless operators on a national basis.

2. Federal Regulations

Any time that a company wants to put up a wireless tower, they must follow a regulatory process that is designed to facilitate the deployment of telecom infrastructure while protecting the health and safety of Canadians. Under the authority of the Radiocommunication Act, ISED is the federal department responsible for overseeing the safe operation of wireless antenna towers and sites.

ISED requires all antenna systems to limit the level of radiofrequency energy (RF) that can be present in public spaces, consistent with the RF guidelines set out in Health Canada’s Safety Code 6 (which include large safety margins to protect the general public, as well as people working close to RF sources).

In some cases, companies may be required to engage in discussions with local land-use authorities (LUA) about the way that network equipment is built or located in particular areas, as well as to participate in public consultations facilitated by the LUA or through ISED’s Default Public Consultation Process. 1

More details about these procedures – including the protocols that companies are to follow when installing wireless systems – can be found in the Radiocommunication and Broadcasting Antenna Systems (CPC-2-0-03) section of ISED’s website.

3. Exceptions to Rules

It is important to note that the following network-building activities may be exempt from the LUA review or public consultation aspects of the federal government’s rules.

Excluded activities:

  • Installing new antenna systems where the height is no more than 15 metres above ground level. 2
  • Modifying existing antenna systems, adding antennas, or replacing towers – so long as the height increase is less than 25%, and occurs at least one year after the initial construction. 3
  • Working with non-tower structures (including attaching antennas to buildings, water towers, or lampposts) may not require consultation if the structure’s height is increased by less than 25%.
  • Installing temporary antennas (i.e., for special events or emergencies) may be exempt from consultation if they are removed less than three months after the start of the event or emergency.
  • Repairs on existing antenna will not usually require consultation before the maintenance work is performed.

3.5 Joint Industry/Municipality Guidelines

In 2013, the CWTA and Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) co-authored a series of recommendations to help guide the deployment of antenna systems in Canadian municipalities (the Joint Protocol). This document offers a template for companies and local authorities to follow so that they can more efficiency deploy antenna systems while respecting community concerns.

In 2014, the federal rules governing how companies install antenna systems in Canada were updated by ISED to include new procedures that closely mirror the Joint Protocol Template developed by the CWTA and FCM.

The CWTA/FCM Joint Template is available through FCM’s website, along with a short summary explaining the document and its relevance to the installation of wireless sites and equipment.

4. More Information

More information on Canada’s wireless safety rules – and how they apply to the antenna siting process – can be found by contacting ISED or an applicable land-use authority, or by consulting the list of resources below:

1 ISED defines a land-use authority (LUA) as a “local authority that governs land-use issues”, including municipalities, town councils, regional commissions, development authorities, township boards, and band councils.

2 This exception does not apply to telecom carriers, commercial broadcasters, or third-party tower owners.

3 Does not apply to carriers, commercial broadcasters, or third-party tower owners, nor to antenna support structures that are less than 15m above ground level.

Purchasing a pre-owned mobile phone

Buying used mobile phones safely

Purchasing a pre-owned mobile phone can be a great way to save money, but as is the case when purchasing any used item, care should be taken to make sure you receive what you expected. 

When purchasing a pre-owned mobile device, you should only buy from people or retailers you know and trust.  For example, many wireless service providers sell refurbished phones and provide return policies and warranties.  

One of the risks of buying a pre-owned device, especially from an individual or retailer with whom you are not familiar, is that the device may have been obtained illegally or may be a device that was otherwise lost by the previous owner. You can determine if the device you wish to purchase has been reported lost or stolen in Canada and entered into a device blacklist by checking the device’s IMEI number at www.devicecheck.ca. A device with a blacklisted IMEI number will not function on participating Canadian networks.   

On most devices you can find the IMEI number by dialing *#06# on the phone function keypad . Please check the device manufacturer’s website for other information on how to obtain the device IMEI number. 

Lost or stolen devices

Lost or stolen device 

If your mobile device or SIM card is lost or stolen, you should contact your wireless provider immediately. Some service providers allow you to suspend your device or SIM card. Service providers can also add your device to the national list of lost or stolen mobile devices so that it can’t be used on any network in Canada. 

If your device was stolen report the theft to the police.  

You should also update all of your passwords used for online access to banking, social media, retail, and other sites. Also contact your financial institution as it may use your mobile number for banking website authentication. 

Protect yourself

To reduce the risk of theft: 

  • Keep your device locked with a strong password or code; 
  • Consider using phone features or apps that allow you to track the location of your device and erase data if your device is lost or stolen; 
  • Keep a record of your phone’s IMEI number, PIN number, phone number, make and model, colour and any other appearance details. The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number can be obtained on most phones by dialing *#06# on your device; and