ARCHIVED -  Public Notice CRTC 1999-130

Public Notice

Ottawa, 9 August 1999

Public Notice CRTC 1999-130

Cable capacity reports

Summary

In Public Notice CRTC 1997-33-2, the Commission required licensees of Class 1 broadcasting distribution undertakings, such as cable systems, with 20,000 or more subscribers to submit reports concerning their analog channel capacity. Recently, the Commission expanded this requirement to include reports on digital channel capacity. The Commission requested these reports so it could monitor the capacity of the distribution industry to accommodate new specialty services.

The purpose of this public notice is to extend the termination date of the reporting requirements from 31 August 1999 to 31 August 2001. The Commission will now require licensees to file reports every six months, rather than every three months.

Background

1.  In Public Notice CRTC 1997-33-2, Postponement of Public Hearing to Consider New Specialty and Pay Television Applications, the Commission required licensees of all Class 1 broadcasting distribution undertakings with 20,000 or more subscribers to submit reports on their channel capacity. Specifically, the Commission requested the following information for each such undertaking:

·  analog channel capacity;

·  complete channel line-up, indicating the specific channels used for the distribution of each service;

·  description of proposed analog upgrades to the distribution system, the increase to analog channel capacity that would result, and the timeframe for implementation and utilization; and

·  description of plans and timeframes for the deployment of digital technology, the number of digital households served, progress towards implementation, and projected date for utilization by broadcasting and/or telecommunications services.

2.  The Commission required the licensees to submit the first report no later than 31 January 1998. This report was to include information that reflected the capacity of the undertaking as of 31 December 1997. Licensees were also asked to file updated reports every three months thereafter, with the last report to be filed no later than 31 August 1999.

3.  The Commission advised the licensees that they could request confidentiality for the information contained in their reports.

4.  In order to facilitate the interpretation and cross comparison of the data provided by the licensees, the Commission developed a spreadsheet form that it placed on the public file. Aggregate summaries of the data for which licensees requested and were granted confidentiality have also been placed on the public file.

Amendments to reporting requirements

5.  In order to facilitate comparison of upgrades, the Commission asked licensees to submit information on the analog and digital upgrades that would be in place as of 1 January 1999. Once this date had passed, it was necessary to establish a new date for planning purposes. As well, several systems were deploying digital services, the details of which were not reflected in the capacity reports. Accordingly, the Commission sent a letter to the licensees amending the reporting requirements for 30 April and 31 July 1999 to address these lacunae. The Commission made the following changes:

·  Planned Analog Capacity January 1999 now reads Planned Analog Capacity January 2001.

·  Planned Digital Capacity January 1999 now reads Planned Digital Capacity January 2001.

·  An additional spreadsheet form was created for those systems that now offer digital services. Its reporting requirements were designed to encompass the key elements of the digital deployments. For ease of use, it otherwise tracks the format of the analog form. The form is set out in the Appendix to this public notice.

6.  The Commission informed licensees that the service information would be placed on the public file (#12 to #30 inclusive on the spreadsheet). It also advised them that it was prepared to keep the non-service information confidential (#1 to #11 inclusive on the spreadsheet).

7.  The information requested for these reports is required in order to monitor the roll-out of digital technology. The Commission is, therefore, extending the termination date of the reporting requirements originally set in Public Notice CRTC 1997-33-2 for two years to 31 August 2001.

8.  The Commission considers that it is unlikely that licensees will make major line-up changes every three months. Accordingly, and in order to reduce the regulatory burden on licensees, the Commission will henceforth require them to submit capacity reports every six months. The licensee must, therefore, submit these reports by 31 October 1999, 30 April 2000, 31 October 2000 and 30 April 2001.

Related CRTC documents

 Public Notice CRTC 1997-33-2 dated 11 December 1997: Postponement of Public Hearing to Consider New Specialty and Pay Television Applications

 Public Notice CRTC 1998-79 dated 30 July 1998: Revised Process for consideration of New English-language Pay and Specialty Television

 Public Notice CRTC 1999-19 dated 3 February 1999: Call for Comments on a Licensing Framework for New Pay and Specialty Services

This notice is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be viewed at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca

Secretary General

Appendix to Public Notice CRTC 1999-130

DIGITAL CAPACITY REPORT

SYSTEM______________________
LICENSEE_____________________

1.  TOTAL # OF DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS_____________________
2.  # OF DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVING PROGRAMMING SERVICES EXCLUSIVELY_____________________
3.  # OF DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVING NON-PROGRAMMING SERVICES EXCLUSIVELY_____________________
4.  TOTAL SYSTEM BANDWIDTH (ANALOGUE + DIGITAL)___________
5.  TOTAL DIGITAL DOWNSTREAM BANDWIDTH ____________________
6.  DIGITAL DOWNSTREAM BANDWIDTH CURRENTLY USED ________
7.  DIGITAL BANDWIDTH USED FOR PROGRAMMING SERVICES______
8.  DOWNSTREAM DIGITAL BANDWIDTH USED FOR ALL NON-PROGRAMMING SERVICES_________________________
9.  DOWNSTREAM BANDWIDTH USED FOR INTERNET SERVICES_____
10.  TOTAL DIGITAL UPSTREAM BANDWIDTH _______________________
11.  SHARED ANALOG & DIGITAL BANDWIDTH______________________
12.  # OF DISTINCT VIDEO SERVICES_________________________
13.  # OF DISTINCT AUDIO SERVICES_________________________
14.  CANADIAN SERVICES OFFERED ON BASIC____________________
15.  FOREIGN SERVICES OFFERED ON BASIC______________________
16.  CANADIAN SPECIALTY SERVICES_________________________
17.  FOREIGN SPECIALTY SERVICES_________________________
18.  DISTINCT PAY VIDEO SERVICES_________________________
19.  TOTAL PAY VIDEO PROGRAM MULTIPLEXES__________________
20.  DISTINCT PAY AUDIO SERVICES_________________________
21.  DISTINCT PAY-PER-VIEW SERVICES __________________________
22.  TOTAL PAY-PER-VIEW PROGRAM MULTIPLEXES_______________
23.  VIDEO-ON-DEMAND SERVICES________________________
24.  LICENCED CANADIAN PROGRAM SERVICES___________________
25.  AUTHORIZED CANADIAN PROGRAM SERVICES________________
26.  AUTHORIZED FOREIGN SERVICES________________________
27.  ALPHANUMERIC SERVICES_________________________
28.  EXEMPT PROTECTED SERVICES_________________________
29.  EXEMPT OTHER SERVICES_________________________
30.  NON-PROGRAMMING SERVICES_________________________

NOTES:

·  SERVICES REFERS TO DIGITAL SERVICES ONLY
·  SERVICES MAY FALL INTO MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY
·  BANDWIDTH MEANS CHANNEL BANDWIDTH, DESCRIBED AS XX.XX MHz