ARCHIVED - Telecom Procedural Letter adressed to Ms. Sue Decker (Canadian Administrator of Video Relay Service (CAV), Inc.)

Ottawa, 23 August 2018

Our reference: 8698-C209-201805657

BY EMAIL

Ms. Sue Decker
Executive Director
Canadian Administrator of Video Relay Service (CAV), Inc.
1102-200 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1L5
sdecker@cav-acs.ca   

Subject:  Filing of Canadian Administrator of VRS (CAV), Inc. 2019 Annual Budget

Dear Ms. Decker:

This correspondence is further to the Part 1 Application that CAV filed on 25 July 2018 requesting funding from the National Contribution Fund, in order to operate Video Relay Service (VRS) in Canada during the 2019 operating year.

After reviewing the Part 1 Application, Commission staff would like to develop a better understanding of CAV’s operations. Accordingly, staff requests that CAV respond to the attached requests for information. CAV is to file its responses with the Commission by 7 September 2018.

To allow interveners an opportunity to comment on CAV’s responses, Commission staff is extending the date for filing submissions in relation to the Part 1 Application to 14 September 2018.

Procedural information

This letter and all subsequent correspondence form part of a public record. As set out in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-961, Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, persons may designate certain information as confidential. A person claiming confidentiality with respect to information submitted must provide an abridged version of the document involved, accompanied by a detailed rationale to explain why the disclosure of the information is not in the public interest.

All submissions are to be made in accordance with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure, SOR/2010-277.

If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Bradley Gaudet at Bradley.Gaudet@crtc.gc.ca.

Yours sincerely,

Nanao Kachi
Director, Social and Consumer Policy
Consumer Affairs and Strategic Policy

Enclosure

c.c. Bradley Gaudet, CRTC, Bradley.Gaudet@crtc.gc.ca

Requests for Information

Q1. Paragraph 2 of the Part 1 Application indicates that, during the period April to June 2018, the system handled 116,425 calls where the average call length was 5.2 minutes, for a total of 1,940 hours of calls. Staff requests confirmation as to whether a mathematical error has occurred, as 116,425 X 5.2 / 60 = 10,091 rather than 1,940.

Q2. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the SRV Canada VRS website indicates that it is not yet possible to register a business, organization, government or school for an account and a 10-digit number. However, effective July 18, 2018, CAV has begun allowing customers to register for a 2nd account and get a 10-digit VRS number for their business use.

1. Can you confirm that CAV has begun allowing customers to register for a second account for their business use? 
2. How many customers have registered for a second number?
3. What are CAV’s future plans to allow businesses, organizations, governments or schools to register for an account?
4. In forecasting 6,600 users by 2018 year-end, would customers signing up for a second account be recorded as one user or two users?

Q3. Paragraph 12(b) of the Part 1 Application indicates that, for other expenses, the net surplus of $741,490 exceeds the 2018 contingencies, which were $1,432,848 in the 2018 budget, by $550,000. Explain how CAV arrived at $550,000.

Q4. Paragraph 48 of the Part 1 Application indicates that CAV anticipates a total of five full time staff (four employees and one contractor) in 2018. The paragraph also suggests that salaries of four of the staff members are reported as wage expense while the salary for the COO/CFO is reported as professional services.

Are there any other positions, part-time or term, whose salaries are reported as wage expense? If so, what are these positions?

Date modified:

2018-08-23