Asks Parliament to direct the CRTC to set a measurable, enforceable standard that limits telecom customers' phone hold times to 10 minutes, requires access to a human representative, and applies penalties to providers that repeatedly fail the standard.

Canadians increasingly rely on telecommunications providers for essential services, including mobile, internet and telephone services;

Consumers can face lengthy telephone hold times, repeated transfers, dropped calls, automated systems refusing calls because of high call volumes, and difficulty reaching a representative capable of resolving concerns;

Existing consumer-protection rules establish important rights relating to contracts, billing, cancellation and other matters, but do not establish a clear maximum time for consumers to obtain meaningful access to customer service;

A consumer's ability to exercise rights is significantly reduced when they cannot reasonably reach their provider; and

Timely access to human customer service should be considered a basic component of consumer protection, particularly when routine transactions are increasingly handled through online self-service and automated systems.

We, the undersigned,citizens and residents of Canada, call upon theHouse of Commons in Parliament assembledto:1. Direct the CRTC to establish a clear, measurable and enforceable customer-service access standard for telecommunications providers; 2. Establish a maximum 10-minute telephone hold time for customers seeking access to human customer service, while allowing the CRTC to determine appropriate methods of measurement and reasonable exceptions for extraordinary circumstances; 3. Ensure meeting the standard requires meaningful access to a human representative capable of beginning to address the concern, rather than merely connecting to an automated system, unnecessary transfer, or further waiting; and 4. Establish meaningful and proportional consequences for providers that persistently fail.