TORONTO - The CRTC says nearly 2.7 million phone numbers have signed on with the new national do-not-call list.
Almost half of those come from Ontario, where 1.3 million numbers have been added to the list of phones that most telemarketers cannot call.
In the three Canadian territories, only 1,600 numbers have registered.
The CRTC started the no-call list at midnight Sept. 30, and in the first nine hours more than 200,000 people registered. The demand was so intense that the website crashed at one point.
Once a number is on the list, telemarketers are barred from dialing that number or face a hefty fine if they do.
If a registered household files a complaint, the maximum fines is $1,500 for individual telemarketers and $15,000 for companies.
Signing on to the list will not stop all telemarketing calls. Canadian registered charities and political parties and candidates are still allowed to call for donations, and newspapers can call selling subscriptions.
Canadians can register at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or by calling 1-866-580-3625.
