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Telecom Circular CRTC 2003-1
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Ottawa, 11 December 2003 |
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Telecommunications industry data collection: updating of CRTC
registration lists, telecommunications fees, Canadian contribution
mechanism fund administration, international licences and monitoring of
the Canadian telecommunications industry
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Purpose of this circular
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1. |
The purpose of this circular is to provide
notification of administrative changes that the Commission will
implement to better coordinate and streamline a number of activities it
undertakes in order to regulate and monitor the Canadian
telecommunications industry. These changes centre around the
Commission's annual collection of telecommunications industry data which
is currently used for the annual preparation of the Report to the
Governor in Council: Status of Competition in Canadian
Telecommunications Markets - Deployment/Accessibility of Advanced
Telecommunications Infrastructure and Services. This annual data
collection will further be used to support the Commission's activities
that relate to maintaining and updating telecommunications entity
registration lists, international licences, telecommunications fees and
the contribution regime. The annual data collection activity will
support annual filing requirements for international telecommunications
licence holders and will become the vehicle for international licence
renewal. |
2. |
This circular also extends the expiry date
of all existing international telecommunications licences as detailed
below. |
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Annual collection of telecommunications industry data
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3. |
Each year, the telecommunications industry
is surveyed and is required to provide certain information to assist,
among other things, the Commission in developing its report to the
Governor in Council on the status of competition in the Canadian
telecommunications markets. Data collection is undertaken as a two-step
process. |
4. |
The first step in the data collection
process involves the issuance and completion of Reporting Entity Profile
(REP) Form, which is undertaken in the January/February timeframe of
each year. The detailed data collection forms are used to identify and
update information on the Commission's registration lists, information
relating to international licences, telecommunications fees, the
contribution regime and the monitoring report. |
5. |
The second step in the data collection
process involves the issuance and collection of detailed data collection
forms. The issuance of these detailed forms is entity specific and has
been largely based upon the responses to the REP form. Entities required
to complete and to submit detailed telecommunications sector data must
do so toward the end of the first quarter, unless otherwise specified. |
6. |
The existing data collection forms are
available on the CRTC's website; however, during 2004, the Commission
will introduce a new web-based data collection platform that will result
in changes to certain forms. The Commission will be providing assistance
to entities in interfacing with the new system. This web-based platform
is intended to both simplify and improve the accuracy and timeliness of
all data collection activity. Once the web-based platform has been
established, the Commission will, on an annual basis, announce via its
website, the specific dates by which REP forms and detailed
telecommunications sector data collection forms must be completed and
received by the Commission. |
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Maintaining and updating entity registration lists
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7. |
The Commission currently maintains a number
of lists of telecommunications companies that have registered with the
Commission, pursuant to various Commission decisions. The list is the
following: |
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- Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) – Licences
– (Class A & Class B)
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- Carriers – (Telephone Companies, Wireless Service Providers and
Other Carriers)
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- Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC)
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- Competitive Pay Telephone Service Providers (CPTSP)
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- Digital Subscriber Line Providers Registered (DSL)
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- Independent Carriers (Ontario & Québec)
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- Resellers of High Speed Retail Internet Service
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8. |
Each of the above referenced lists can be
accessed via the CRTC's website at:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/lists.htm . |
9. |
These lists are widely used by the public,
third party administrators, the Commission, and the industry itself. For
example, carriers may refer to a list in order to determine whether a
telecommunication entity is eligible for competitor services and their
associated rates; the numbering administrator may check a list to
determine the appropriateness of assigning numbering resources to an
applicant; the Commission may use a list to notify parties of a
proceeding or to provide parties with information, etc. There is a
regulatory requirement for the various industry segments to register
with the Commission and these registration lists contain information
that has proven to be of great value to many. |
10. |
The Commission has maintained registration
lists based solely on the information provided by the telecommunications
industry. The information on these lists maybe inaccurate since the
Commission is not always advised when changes to the list(s) are
required. |
11. |
Commencing in 2004, all telecommunications
entities will be required to confirm their entity and contact
information on an annual basis via the REP form. Through the web-based
platform, entities will be able to 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. As a result of the
above noted changes, the validity and accuracy of the registration
list(s) on the CRTC's website will improve significantly. |
12. |
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. Once an entity's information is removed
from the registration lists, there could be consequences such as the
inability to access competitor services and their associated rates, to
negotiate or renew interconnection agreements, to secure numbering
resources, etc. Entities that are removed from the registration lists
may be reinstated once the completed form has been provided to the
Commission. |
13. |
Before an entity is removed from the
registration lists for the reasons identified above, Commission staff
will make three attempts to contact the entity based upon existing
information. These steps will include, at a minimum, an attempt to reach
the entity by telephone, a written attempt via fax or email, and a
written notice by registered mail. |
14. |
The initial updating of the various lists
via the REP form will commence in early 2004 following the completion of
the 2004 data collection process. Instructions relating to the
completion of the REP form will be available on the CRTC's website at
www.crtc.gc.ca. |
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Contribution regime
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15. |
By 31 March of each year, all
telecommunications service providers are required to file
annual contribution reports with the Commission. Commencing in 2004,
entities that have completed their annual REP form will be required to
access the contribution related input forms (e.g., the annual reporting,
inter-carrier payment and non-contribution-eligible revenue forms)
through the new 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/partVII/eng/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. |
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Telecommunications fees
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16. |
Canadian companies that file tariffs with
the Commission are required to pay telecommunications fees. Beginning in
2004, an initial screening of these entities will be identified through
the annually completed REP form. It will therefore be critical that all
information provided on the REP form and any other forms be complete and
accurate. Supporting documentation such as ownership and relevant
financial statements will continue to be required and must be filed with
the Commission. The annual ownership reporting requirements established
under section 16 of the Canadian Telecommunications Common Carrier
Ownership and Control Regulations continue, and are unaffected by
this Circular. |
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International telecommunications licences
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17. |
Commencing with the 2004 data collection
process, the filing requirements for international licences will change
to better align with the completion of the REP/detailed data collection
forms. In order to harmonize the data collection and reporting processes
with the licence renewal process, changes will be required to the
licensing cycles. 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. |
18. |
All international licences expiring between
the dates of this circular and 30 June 2004 are hereby extended to 30
June 2004. All licences that expire after 30 June 2004 are hereby
extended to 30 June following the current expiration date. For example,
if an existing licence expires in February 2004, its expiration date
will be extended until 30 June 2004; if a licence expires August 2007,
its expiration date will be extended until 30 June 2008. Licensees are
reminded that the appropriate information must be submitted via the REP
form in each data collection cycle. |
19. |
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. |
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Information required to prepare for implementation
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20. |
In order to prepare for the issuance of the
REP form, each entity involved in one or more of the aforementioned
processes is required to nominate a Response Manager within its
organization. The Response Manager will become the
single-point-of-contact for the Commission and will be responsible for
managing the form completion process on behalf of the applicable entity. |
21. |
Each entity is required to submit, by 14
January 2004, via email, the following Response Manager information: |
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Name of Response Manager
Title
Address
Telephone Number
Facsimile Number
Email Address |
22. |
Please identify the full legal name
of the entity in the "Subject" line of the email message and forward the
above noted information to telinfo@crtc.gc.ca. Any questions you may
have relating to the administrative changes announced in this Circular
may also be directed to telinfo@crtc.gc.ca. |
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Secretary General |
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This document is available in
alternative format upon request and may also be examined at the
following Internet site:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca |