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Telecom Circular CRTC 2003-1

Ottawa, 11 December 2003

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

Purpose of this circular

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.

Annual collection of telecommunications industry data

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.

Maintaining and updating entity registration lists

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:

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.

Contribution regime

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/comm/telecom/contributioni.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

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.

International telecommunications licences

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.

Information required to prepare for implementation

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:

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.

Secretary General

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

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