ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter Addressed to John Vamvakas (B.V Communications Inc.)
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Ottawa, 5 June 2017
Mr. John Vamvakas
President
B.V Communications Inc.
359 avenue Sainte-Croix, suite 100
Montreal, Quebec, H4N 2L3
Subject: Your company’s mandatory participation in the CCTS
Dear John Vamvakas,
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)Footnote1 has been informed that B.V Communications Inc. has failed to become a participant in the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS)Footnote2.
The CCTS provides a valuable service to Canadians, helping them resolve disputes with their Telecommunications Service Providers (TSPs). As such, the CRTC has determined that participation in the CCTS is mandatory for all TSPs, including resellers that provide services within the scope of the CCTS’ mandate. Over 300 TSPs, large and small, are participants in the CCTS.
Failure to participate in the CCTS is taken very seriously by the CRTC and may result by taking enforcement action against non-compliant TSPs. As of April 2017, the CRTC has started to impose administrative monetary penalty (AMP) on TSPs failing to participate in the CCTS.
Based on the information provided to the CRTC by the CCTS, B.V Communications Inc. was required to become a participant in the CCTS by 30 November 2016 but has failed to do so. As a result, B.V Communications Inc. could be found to be in violation of the Telecommunications Act because it had contravened the CRTC’s participation requirement. Appendix A provides more details concerning the requirement that B.V Communications Inc. participate in the CCTS.
In order to avoid the CRTC taking enforcement actions against your company, B.V Communications Inc. is required to become a participant in the CCTS and provide proof that it has done so (i.e., a copy of correspondence from the CCTS acknowledging your company’s participation) to the Chief Consumer Officer of the CRTC by 28 June 2017.
Should you have questions about registering as a participating TSP or the triggering complaint, you can contact Ms. Josée Thibault at the CCTS at 613-688-4752. If you have questions specific to the CRTC’s requirements concerning CCTS participation and the Telecommunications Act, you may contact Nanao Kachi, Director of Social and Consumer Policy, at 819-997-4700 or nanao.kachi@crtc.gc.ca.
Yours sincerely,
Original signed by
Scott Shortliffe
Chief Consumer Officer and Executive Director
Consumer Affairs and Strategic Policy
Appendix A – Details concerning the requirement that B.V Communications Inc. participate in the CCTS
As per paragraph 45 of Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy 2016-102, the CRTC requires, pursuant to sections 24 and 24.1 of the Telecommunications Act, that as a condition of offering or providing telecommunication services:
- Every person (i.e. TSP) who is not a participant in the CCTS as of March 17, 2016 become and remain a participant in the CCTS commencing 30 days after the date on which the CCTS informs that person that the CCTS has received a complaint related to telecommunications services provided by it falling within the scope of the CCTS’s mandate.
For clarity, the term "person" includes every Canadian carrier and every person who is not a Canadian carrier, as defined in the Telecommunications Act.
Based on the information provided to the CRTC by the CCTS, B.V Communications Inc. was required to become a participant in the CCTS by 30 November 2016 but has failed to comply with this requirement. Specifically the CCTS informed the CRTC that:
- The CCTS received an in-scope complaint from a customer of B.V Communications Inc. on 25 October 2016 that triggered the CCTS participation requirement;
- The CCTS provided written notice to B.V Communications Inc. on 31 October 2016 that B.V Communications Inc. was required to become a participant by 30 November 2016;
- The CCTS provided a subsequent written notice to B.V Communications Inc. on 30 November 2016; and
- As of the date of this letter, B.V Communications Inc. has failed to become participant in the CCTS as required.
- Date modified: