CRTC Telecommunications Industry Data Collection: 2005 Reporting Guide

On 23 December 2005 it was announced that in order to help users with the 2006 data collection the Commission will be holding several information sessions to explain the system and help telecommunications entities. The following sessions will be held in Ottawa/Gatineau, Toronto, Halifax/Dartmouth, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal:

Ottawa/Gatineau - 20 January 2006
from 9:30 to 11:30 am – “Wellington” room
Holiday Inn Plaza la Chaudière, 2 rue Montcalm, Gatineau

Toronto - 23 January 2006
from 9:30 to 11:30 am – “Chesterton” room – 3rd floor
Delta Chelsea, 33 Gerrard St. West

Halifax/Dartmouth - 24 January 2006
from 1:30 to 3:30 pm – “Suite 1410”
CRTC, 99 Wyse Road, Dartmouth

Vancouver - 7 February 2006
from 1:30 to 3:30 pm – “Summervell” room
Delta Vancouver Suites, 550 West Hastings St.

Calgary –10 February 2006
from 9:30 to 11:30 am – “Kananaskis” room
Delta Bow Valley, 209 – 4th Ave. S.E.

Montreal –15 and 16 February 2006 (english and french)
“Bonsecours” room
15 February from 1:30 to 3:30 – in french
16 February from 9:30 to 11:30 – in english
Delta Centre Ville, 777 University Street

23 December 2005 - Letter - Telecommunications Industry Data Collection - Information Sessions

13 May 2005 - The Data Collection System will be available at 2:00 p.m. E.S.T. on Monday 16 May 2005. The due date for the data forms has been extended to 19 May 2005.

11 May 2005 - The Data Collection System is still unavailable. The next news update on the status of DCS will be posted on Friday 13 May. It is anticipated that a revised due date for completing CRTC data forms will be announced at that time.

9 May 2005 - The Data Collection System is still unavailable. The next news update on the status of DCS will be posted on Wednesday 11 May. It is anticipated that a revised due date for completing CRTC data forms will be announced at that time.

2 May 2005 - The Data Collection System is still unavailable and we anticipate that it will remain so until Monday, May 9. In recognition of this, the due date for the data forms have been extended until 13 May 2005.

30 April 2005 - The DCS system will not be available at any time over the weekend of 30 April to 1st May 2005.

29 April 2005 - Problems with the Data Collection System. Please be advised that we have encountered difficulties wtih the DCS system and it has been brought down. We will be extending the filing date beyond April 30th. The new filing date will be posted on the DCS home page.

11 February 2005 - Letter - Description: Activation code for CRTC 2005 Data Collection System (DCS).

9 February 2005 - Circular 2005-4 - Telecommunications industry data collection: updating of CRTC registration lists, telecommunications fees, Canadian revenue-based contribution regime, international licences and monitoring of the Canadian telecommunications industry.

13 December 2004 - Letter - Telecommunications Industry Data Collection - Information Sessions

Background

Each year, the telecommunications industry is surveyed and is required to provide certain information used to assist the Commission in support of its activities relating to:

Telecom Circular CRTC 2003-1, 11 December 2003, provided notification of a number of administrative changes which were implemented for 2004 to better coordinate and streamline these activities. Among them was the introduction of a web-based Data Collection System (DCS). The DCS employs a secure, encrypted connection between the entity submitting data and the Commission thereby improving and simplifying the accuracy and timeliness of the data collection process. A second change required each reporting entity to nominate a Response Manager who became the single-point-of-contact for the Commission and who was responsible for managing the form completion process.

Telecom Circular CRTC 2005-4, 9 February 2005 updates Telecom Circular CRTC 2003-1 with notice of further administrative and procedural changes designed to streamline the reporting requirements, specifically:

The most significant of the changes is designed to reduce the reporting burden on smaller companies by stratifying the telecommunications industry into two broad groups, distinguished by their operational activities. The Commission will notify all currently registered entities of their classification by postal mail in February 2005.

Updates to the CRTC Telecommunications Industry Data Collection web pages will be posted occasionally, often in response to questions posed by respondents. Notification of updates can be provided via e-mail by registering for this service on the "Contact" link.

Overview

As stated in Telecom Circular 2005-1, a number of changes to the reporting process have been implemented this year. The industry stratification represents the greatest change to the reporting process, as many individual entities will enjoy a simplified data submission procedure this year.

Group 1

This group is made up of telecommunications entities that meet one or more of the following criterion:

As they did last year, this group will submit their Respondent Entity Profile (REP) form and detailed operational data forms using the web-based DCS. Samples of these forms can be viewed in early February 2005 by clicking on the "Forms" link located on the side navigation bar.

As this system is used for the acquisition of confidential company information, the application must be carefully managed, both by the entity and the Commission, to maintain the security of data submitted. A key player in this is the Response Manager, who is the sole person responsible for accessing the DCS and submitting data on behalf of each individual entity.

In addition to the administrative and procedural changes introduced in Telecom Circular CRTC 2005-1, a number of changes have been made to the web-based system. D etailed user instructions can be found by clicking on the "User Manual" link located at the DCS Welcome page.

Government of Canada epass - This year, in order to increase security, the Commission has introduced the Government of Canada's epass security package, a unique electronic credential (username/password) that is used to communicate securely with on-line Government services.

An epass username and password is required to access the DCS thus, all Group 1 Response Managers and Form Respondents will be required to hold a valid epass. On or about 10 February 2005, all registered Response Managers will be sent an activation code in the postal mail. Use this code the first time you log on to enable access to DCS which will be accessible starting 18 February 2005. Then, from the DCS logon page, you can either register for a new epass or use an existing one. Details of the epass registration process can be found at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/file.htm.

Anyone with possession of the epass username and password will have the means to view the entity's data. It is therefore up to the entity to ensure the epass is managed responsibly. If the entity has any reason to believe that the security of the epass has been compromised, please contact the Commission and the entity's account will be suspended until new contact details can be implemented.

Reporting Milestones - The data reporting and collection process for Group 1 entities is essentially the same as last year in that submission of data will be undertaken in two steps as shown in the following milestones:

11 February 2005	Post mailing of DCS activation codes to Response Managers of record.
18 February 2005	Accessibility of pre-populated web-based REP forms used to identify and update entity contact information.
28 February 2005	Submission of web-based REP forms to the CRTC. Detailed telecommunications sector data collection forms will be made accessible based largely on the responses provided on the REP form. These web-based forms are to be completed and submitted in two tranches.
31 March 2005	Submission of DCS financial statement forms, telecommunications fees forms and contribution regime forms.
30 April 2005	Submission of all other forms including data for the annual Monitoring Report.

This group is made up of those entities that do not meet at least one Group 1 inclusion criterion. Specifically, this group consists of smaller entities that do not file CRTC telecommunications tariffs nor participate in certain telecommunications processes (contribution, telecommunications fess, international licence holders, etc.). Group 2 entities will follow a simplified data collection methodology by completing their reporting requirements using the simplified paper REP form.

Samples of the paper-based REP forms used by Group 2 entities can be found by clicking on the "Forms" link located on side navigation bar.

Reporting Milestones - The data reporting process for Group 2 entities has been simplified as shown in the following milestones:

Unless a Group 2 entities' 2004 business activities and results warrants a reclassification as a Group 1 entity, this will complete the annual reporting requirements for 2005.

Activities

In addition to the information collected on the Data Forms for the Monitoring process, Contribution, Telecommunications Fees, International Licences and CRTC registration lists, the Commission may be conducting consumer surveys.

Monitoring

The CRTC has released four annual reports on the status of competition in Canadian telecommunications markets. These reports were issued in response to a governmental Order-in-Council (P.C. 2000-1053, .pdf), and followed a public process initiated by the CRTC's Public Notice (PN 2000-175). The latest report was issued in November 2004 and the fifth report will result from the 2005 industry monitoring process. Telecommunications reports are also produced by other Federal Government departments and telecommunications regulators in other jurisdictions.

Commencing with the 2004 data collection process, the filing requirements for international licences were changed to better align with the completion of the Reporting Entity Profile (REP)/Data Forms. The current five-year, anniversary-based licensing period that was established in Regulatory regime for the provision of international telecommunications services, Telecom Decision CRTC 98-17, 1 October 1998, will, upon the expiration of existing licences, convert to five year licences with a common expiration date of 30 June.

Applications for initial licences will be processed in accordance with the existing regime, renewable on a five-year basis as described above. It should be noted that all other conditions of licence such as the requirement to submit financial and ownership information on an annual basis will remain in place. Assuming the conditions of licence have been met, a request for a licence renewal will be subject to an expeditious approval process.

Contribution Regime

By 31 March of each year, all telecommunications service providers are required to file annual contribution reports with the Commission. Since 2004, entities that have completed their annual REP form have been required to access the contribution related input forms through the web-based platform. Entities that have not completed their annual REP form can find the contribution related forms on the Commission's website at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/public/partVII/2000/8638/crtc/ccmrep.htm. Supporting documentation such as financial statements and associated audit report or affidavit will continue to be required and must be filed with the Commission.

Telecommunications Fees

Pursuant to the Telecommunications Fees Regulations, Canadian companies that file tariffs with the Commission are required to pay telecommunications fees. Since 2004, entities provide a statement of their eligible telecommunications operating revenues by submitting DCS data form 701. Supporting documentation such as relevant financial statements will continue to be required and must be filed with the Commission.

Telecommunications Registration Lists

The Commission currently maintains a number of lists of telecommunications companies that have registered with the Commission, pursuant to various Commission decisions.

These lists are widely used by the public, third party administrators, the Commission, and the industry itself. The Commission has maintained registration lists based solely on the information provided by the telecommunications industry. The information on these lists may be inaccurate since the Commission is not always advised when changes to the list(s) are required.

Commencing in 2004, all telecommunications entities are required to confirm their entity and contact information on an annual basis via the REP form. Through the web-based platform, entities register all of their lines of business at one time. Once the data has been collected, the appropriate registration list(s) will be revised accordingly. Entities should be aware that failure to complete and submit a REP form, or the detailed information forms, on a timely basis, will result in the removal of their information from the Commission's registration lists.

CRTC Telecommunications Industry Data Collection

Introduction - 2005

2006 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

News | Background | Overview | Activities

News

Background

Overview

Group 1

Activities

Monitoring

Contribution Regime

Telecommunications Fees

Telecommunications Registration Lists