The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) today lost a prominent member when TELUS announced it was withdrawing from the association. According to TELUS Chief Corporate Officer Josh Blair:
“Telus’ decision to withdraw from the CWTA reflects our desire to continue progressing our highly differentiated strategy and our unique Customers First approach. We are grateful for Bernard Lord’s excellent leadership. He effectively managed a wide diversity of opinions. Bernard has contributed significantly to the development of our industry and we look forward to our continued collaboration with him and his team on initiatives of joint interest.”
Telus’s decision to leave the CWTA is effective immediately. It will not affect a number of projects that the carrier is working on with the CWTA, including the national stolen smartphone registry and Wireless AMBER Alerts.
The CWTA quickly responded with a statement of its own, expressing its disappointment with the TELUS announcement:
“CWTA is understandably disappointed with this decision, but respects the position of Telus to undertake a more distinctive advocacy approach outside of CWTA. As a long-serving member of the Association, Telus has contributed strongly over the years to advancing wireless industry growth, innovation and consumer services.”
“CWTA notes the decision by Telus communicated to CWTA includes Telus’ interest in participating on a collaborative basis with some of the Association’s numerous and valuable consumer and corporate social responsibility initiatives such as the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada, Recycle My Cell, Wireless AMBER Alerts, Text with 9-1-1, Wireless Number Portability, Canada’s new stolen handset database and Common Short Codes, to name just a few. CWTA would be pleased to welcome Telus back as a full-time member in the future should its plans change.”
In April 2013, Mobilicity, Public Mobile (now owned by TELUS) and WIND Mobile all withdrew from the CWTA in April 2013, citing “consistent bias in favour of Rogers, Bell and TELUS” as the reason for their departure.
Source : The Globe and Mail