of The Telecommunications Act requires that every exempted telemarketer "shall maintain their own do not call list and shall ensure that no telecommunication is made on their behalf to any person who has requested that they receive no telecommunication...". Unlike the DNCL Rules, the Act itself makes no provision for a grace period or expiry, so all do not call requests must be honoured immediately and permanently. In letters dated 27 June 2008, to the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) and the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA), CRTC Chairman Konrad von Finckenstein personally ruled that do not call requests from third parties, such as iOptOut.ca, are to be considered "...as valid requests and must be honoured." Due to its overwhelming popularity, iOptOut.ca is currently being upgraded and improved. On 13 November 2008, the CRTC declined a request from telecommunications provider Rogers Wireless to permit Canadian wireless customers to block unsolicited SMS text messages through the DNCL. Timeline The privacy benefits the list will achieve remain uncertain. A working group of the CRTC held hearings concerning the planned implementation of the list. It submitted recommendations on 26 July 2006. On 3 July 2007, the CRTC announced it would be issuing a request for proposals to suppliers willing to provide this service. On 21 December 2007, the CRTC announced that it had picked Bell Canada to operate the National Do Not Call List for five years. It is funded from subscription fees paid by telemarketers, rather than relying on fees by end citizens. It became operational on 30 September 2008. Criticism Michael Geist, professor of law at the University of Ottawa, has criticized the changes adopted in the amended Act. He observed that the legislation contained too many exemptions which would not result in a significant decrease in calls for subscribers of the DNCL. Geist expressed particular concern about the extent and duration of the existing business relationship exception. In a 2009 article for the Toronto Star, Geist labelled the CRTC's do-not-call list a "disaster" and recommended that parliament return to the original version of Bill C-37 by eliminating all exemptions. He further recommended cross-border cooperation to resolve jurisdictional issues and immediate tough enforcement to send a strong signal to violators. In November 2008, it was reported that the CRTC had received thousands of complaints from individuals about the implementation of the Do Not Call List. People reported that they had actually experienced a