Fact sheet
Registration as a Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS)
Licensee
List of questions
1. What is a BITS?
2. How do I submit an application
3. Licence conditions
4. Annual collection of telecommunications industry data and
Registration
5. How will I know I have registered with the CRTC?
6. Contribution
7. What if a BITS registration information changes?
8 Need help?
1. What is a BITS?
A Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) licensee is a company
that provides telecommunication services on an international level. The
registration requirement originates in Regulatory regime for the provision of
international telecommunications services, Telecom Decision CRTC 98-17, 1
October 1998 (Decision
98-17), and licensees are identified with file numbers starting with 8190.
Section 16.1(2) of the Telecommunications Act requires
telecommunications service providers who provide international telecommunications
services within a class specified by the Commission to obtain an international
telecommunications service licence. In its letter dated 17 December 1999, the
Commission established, effective 1 January 1999, the following two classes of
international telecommunications service providers:
(1) Class A licensee is a telecommunications service provider who
operates telecommunications facilities, whether owned by them or leased from a
separate facilities provider, used in transporting basic telecommunications
service traffic between Canada and another country; and/or those who operate
telecommunications equipment that converts (i) circuit-switched basic
international minutes originating in Canada to non-circuit switched traffic, or
(ii) non-circuit switched traffic originating outside of Canada to basic
minutes terminating in Canada."
(2) Class B licensee is a telecommunications service provider who
neither operates telecommunications facilities owned by them or leased from a
separate facilities provider used in transporting basic telecommunications
service traffic between Canada and another country… [This includes] service
providers who only resell the switched services of other service providers or
who hand off all of their international traffic to another service provider in
Canada for termination in another country."
2. How do I submit an application?
Applications for a BITS licence should be addressed to: Diane Rhéaume,
Secretary General, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2.
An application must indicate the class of licence applied for, and include the
following information: company's name and address, response manager name and
title, contact telephone and fax numbers as well as the contact e-mail address.
You will find the remaining instructions for an application, as well as an
example of an Affidavit and other related
information on our web site at
www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/public/8190.htm.
3. Licence conditions
All licensees are required to observe certain licence conditions which are
found at the back of their licence. You will find all of the licence
conditions on our web site at
www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/public/8190.htm.
4. Annual collection of telecommunications industry data and
Registration
Each year, the telecommunications industry is surveyed and is required to
provide certain information. Pursuant to Telecom Circulars 2003-1 and 2005-4,
each company is required to designate a Response Manager to be the
single-point-of-contact for the Commission who will be responsible for managing
the form completion process on behalf of the company (see section 6 of the
application (affidavit) form).
5. How will I know I have been registered with the CRTC?
Commission staff generally updates the Class A and Class B lists every Friday.
Once registered, you should be able to view your name on the
list on our web site at
www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/public/8190.htm.
6. Contribution
In Changes to the contribution regime, Telecom Decision CRTC
2000-745,
30 November 2000, the Commission concluded that all telecommunications service
providers, including international licensees are required to contribute to a
national contribution fund to subsidize local residential telephone service in
rural and remote areas. Their contributions are based upon their total Canadian
Telecommunications Service Revenues, less certain deductions.
For reporting instructions and the
annual revenue form, please
refer to our web site at www.crtc.gc.ca.
7. What if a BITS' registration information changes?
As set out in Telecom Circular 2003-1, the information regarding your company
must be kept current at all times or your listing will be removed from the
registration list. To remain on the list you must notify the Commission of any
changes to the registration information including a change to the company's name,
address, the name and title of a contact person and the contact person's
telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. It should be noted that changes to
the registration information should be submitted through the REP form in the data
collection system. Info rmation such as new Affidavits, that cannot be submitted
via the REP form, should be submitted to the Commission under separate cover to
and forwarded to: Diane Rhéaume, Secretary General, Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2.
8. Need help?
If you have any questions concerning BITS issues, please contact us at telinfo.license@crtc.gc.ca or at (819) 1-877-249-2782.
Date Modified: 2006-05-29 |
