Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2005-15
Ottawa, 18 October 2005
Monitoring the Canadian telecommunications industry
Reference: 8623-C12-05/05
In this Public Notice, the Commission announces that it will continue to collect data and publish annual monitoring reports on the Canadian telecommunications industry.
1. The Commission currently publishes annual monitoring reports pursuant to Order in Council P.C. 2000-1053, 26 June 2000. The Order in Council required the Commission to submit, for a period of five years starting in 2000, annual reports to the Governor in Council on the status of competition in Canadian telecommunications markets, and on the deployment and accessibility of advanced telecommunications infrastructure and services in urban and rural areas in all regions of Canada.
2. To date, the Commission has issued four reports entitled Status of Competition in Canadian Telecommunications Markets - Deployment/Accessibility of Advanced Telecommunications Infrastructure and Services. The first report was issued in September 2001, with subsequent reports in December 2002, November 2003 and November 2004. The Commission is in the process of preparing its fifth and final report to the Governor in Council which is expected to be published in October 2005.
3. The reports are based on the responses to the Commission's data collection forms, internal analyses, data collected from other sources, including Statistics Canada, Industry Canada, and company-specific financial reports and information previously filed with the Commission. Under the Telecommunications Act (the Act), the Commission can require telecommunications service providers to submit information to the Commission that it considers necessary for the administration of the Act, in periodic reports or in such other form and manner as the Commission specifies.
4. The Commission has found the reports useful in fulfilling its mandate under the Act. The Commission has also found that the reports have become an invaluable source of information on the Canadian telecommunications industry and provide the Commission and stakeholders with an efficient and effective tool to assess the extent to which the Commission's regulatory frameworks and determinations are fulfilling the Canadian telecommunications policy objectives set out in section 7 of the Act.
5. The Commission will therefore continue to collect data and publish annual monitoring reports. In addition, in order to publish more timely reports, the Commission will require, on a going-forward basis, that all telecommunications service providers file their data each year by the end of March.
6. The Commission has taken steps to simplify the data collection process and minimize the amount of data requested. For example, in 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, Telecom Circular CRTC 2003-1, 11 December 2003 (Circular 2003-1), the Commission streamlined all of its data collection activities related to maintaining and updating telecommunications service providers' registration lists, international licences, telecommunications fees and the contribution regime.
7. In 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, Telecom Circular CRTC 2005-4, 9 February 2005 (Circular 2005-4), the Commission implemented further administrative changes to better coordinate and streamline a number of activities it undertakes to regulate and monitor the Canadian telecommunications industry.
8. The Commission notes that these reporting requirements may need to change over time in order to take into account new regulatory issues or market developments. For example, in its determination on the proceeding initiated by Forbearance from regulation of local exchange services, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2005-2, 28 April 2005, the Commission may require a change to the type of data to be collected or to the frequency of its collection.
9. In summary, the Commission will continue to publish annual monitoring reports and collect information related to Canadian telecommunications markets using the procedures outlined in Circulars 2003-1 and 2005-4. The Commission will also continue to supplement the data collected with other sources such as, but not limited to, Statistics Canada, Industry Canada and the telecommunications service providers'financial reports. The Commission requires all telecommunications service providers to file their data each year by the end of March. As noted above, the reporting requirements such as the type of information to be collected and the frequency of its collection may change. The Commission will announce any changes to the type of data required and the filing dates through the issuance of Telecom Circulars. The Commission reminds all telecommunications service providers of the importance of filing accurate data on a timely basis.
Secretary General
This document is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined in PDF format or in HTML at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca
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