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Telecom Decision CRTC 2024-266

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Ottawa, 1 November 2024

Public record: 8621-C12-01/08

CISC Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering – Consensus reports CNRE141A and CNRE143A

Background

  1. Telephone numbers are a finite resource and critical to our modern communications system. Due to the emergence of many new services in recent years (such as Internet of Things applications), and the continued increase in cellphone use, the demand for Canadian telephone numbers is increasing.
  2. In Telecom Regulatory Policy 2024-26, the Commission directed local exchange carriers and wireless service providers to implement thousand-block pooling by 6 October 2025 as a way to ensure more efficient use of telephone numbers. The Commission also requested that the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) examine how it could reallocate unused numbers.
  3. The Commission also took several other steps to shift the industry’s focus towards telephone number preservation. These included new policies directing that (i) numbers associated with specific regions of Canada be used only for geographic numbering plan assignments, and (ii) the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) apply increased scrutiny to requests that carriers make for additional numbers.
  4. The CISC Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering (CSCN) maintains several guidelines on Canadian numbering administration activities, procedures, and industry responsibilities as they relate to the preservation and responsible allocation of numbering resources in Canada. The CSCN may recommend the creation of a new guideline or modifications to existing guidelines, which the Commission must approve.
  5. Through this decision, the Commission continues to ensure that Canada’s remaining inventory of telephone numbers is managed responsibly to the benefit of all Canadians who rely on telecommunications as an essential aspect of their everyday lives.

Consensus reports CNRE141A and CNRE143A

  1. On 4 September 2024, the CSCN approved and sent to the Commission for its approval two consensus reports:
    • Proposed changes to the Canadian Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast (C-NRUF) Guideline (pre-Thousands-Block Pooling requirements) [CNRE141A]
    • Updating the Canadian Central Office Code (NXX) Assignment Guideline (Before Thousands Block Pooling (TBP) Consideration) [CNRE143A]
  2. In CNRE141A, the CSCN stated that the Canadian Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast Guideline needs to be updated to align with the revised Canadian NPA [Numbering Plan Area] Relief Planning Guideline that the Commission approved in Telecom Decision 2023-141. Accordingly, it proposed several changes.
  3. In CNRE143A, the CSCN stated that currently approved assignment guidelines include out-of-date practices. It therefore proposed changes to the Canadian Central Office [CO] Code (NXX) Assignment Guideline to streamline the Guideline.
  4. While the proposed changes are not directly related to TBP implementation, the CSCN indicated that they would establish a clean baseline for the incorporation of TBP-related updates.
  5. The proposed changes are set out in the appendix to this decision.

Commission’s analysis

  1. The proposed changes accurately reflect the views of the industry, given that Canadian numbering subject matter experts and telecommunications service providers that will implement these changes contributed to the consensus reports.
  2. Furthermore, the proposed changes reflect the objectives and directives outlined in recent Commission decisions such as Telecom Decision 2023-141 and will:
    • align the guidelines with the current numbering administration processes through the removal of unnecessary references and instructions;
    • increase the efficiency of certain numbering administration processes by clarifying and refining instructions, language, and timelines; and
    • effectively provide a clean baseline upon which further amendments can be made, should they be necessary.
  3. In light of the above, the Commission approves the revisions to the Guidelines as recommended by the CSCN in consensus reports CNRE141A and CNRE143A.

Secretary General

Related documents

Appendix to Telecom Decision CRTC 2024-266

Proposed changes to the Canadian Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast (C-NRUF) Guideline

  1. Reduce R-NRUF [relief numbering resource utilization forecast] window from 72 months to approximately 36 months: Changes to the Canadian NPA Relief Planning Guideline reduced the relief planning window to 36 months. Subsequently, there is no reason to begin conducting R-NRUFs at 72 months.
  2. Eliminate the requirement for conducting NRUFs [numbering resource utilization forecast] at the Exchange Area level of detail: In Canadian NPA Relief Planning Guideline, Version 8.0, dated 15 May 2023, all future reliefs of NPAs with previous Distributed Overlays will be accomplished via distributed overlay. Accordingly, there is no benefit to conducting NRUFs at the Exchange Area level of detail where an overlay is already in place.
  3. Remove the requirement for NRUF reports: The CSCN determined at CSCN 128 that there was no longer any value to the NRUF reports and the requirement to produce the report could be removed from the Canadian Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast (C-NRUF) Guideline.
  4. Updating references from Telcordia to iconectiv.
  5. Deleted Appendix B contents: The CSCN determined that the contents of Appendix B were superfluous. A majority of the items contained in the timelines are previously defined in section 3.4 and there are no details in the typical timelines that are not defined elsewhere in the guideline.
  6. Update the timeframe for when results are delivered to NANPA [North American Numbering Plan Administrator]: The CSCN determined that results published by the CNA need not be accepted by the CSCN and so there was no reason to wait on the CSCN before the results could be sent to NANPA for NANP [North American Numbering Plan] exhaust calculation.
  7. Update the timeline in section 3.4: Section 3.4 was primarily updated to remove the requirement for Exchange Area level of reporting, eliminating the NRUF report requirements, and to clarify specific due dates.
  8. Remove the requirement for forecasting NPA 5YY: The CSCN is working on TIF [Task Identification Form] 115 where they are going to propose sunsetting the Canadian Adjunct to the INC [Industry Numbering Committee] Personal Communications Services (PCS) 5YY NXX Code Assignment Guidelines as the resource is no longer available and that guideline no longer exists.
  9. Change the forecasting requirement for NPAs 600 and 9YY: During CSCN 121 on 26 October 2021, the CSCN decided that Carriers do not need to submit forecasts for NPAs 600 or 9YY if they are not forecasting any growth in those NPAs and that the CNA does not have to follow-up with companies that have been assigned 600 or 9YY codes that do not submit NRUFs.

Proposed changes to the Canadian Central Office Code (NXX) Assignment Guideline and associated appendices

  1. Eliminate reference to the Reserved & Held Report requirement.
  2. Update section 3.7f of the Canadian Central Office Code (NXX) Assignment Guideline (update list of NPAs or unassignable NXXs)
  3. Update the Authorized Representative section of the CO Code Part 1 form to add a line for the name of the Authorized Representative (not just the signature).
  4. Update the CO Code Part 1 form to be more specific about acceptable authorization references.
  5. Update the Stranded Codes Process.
  6. Update Section 6.2 to provide more stringent measures regarding facilities readiness.
  7. Modernize the Reclamation Process.
  8. Update the timeline in the Part 4 form for a CO code to be put in service to six months from the most recent effective date.
  9. Remove “Type of Application (Check One)” on the Authorized Representative page of Part 1 form.
  10. Update the list of available form submission methods to remove courier and fax and add an electronic submission option when available.
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