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Survey Overview

[Surveys] [Due dates] [Processes]

Data Collection – Guide

There are currently multiple surveys conducted by the CRTC and each of these surveys collects data for one or more CRTC processes. Data for these processes are collected for the CRTC alone or in conjunction with Statistics Canada.

Further to Broadcasting Circular CRTC 2007-7, Administrative changes to broadcasting industry data collection and Telecom Circular CRTC 2007-17, Administrative changes to telecommunications industry data collection, licensees are required to submit their survey forms online through the web-based Data Collection System (DCS). Details on how to file the various surveys with the CRTC using the DCS can be found at: /eng/dcs/login.htm

Surveys

The following surveys are currently being conducted by the CRTC. Click on the individual surveys below to view details of each survey including copies of the forms. Statistics Canada (STC) is a partner for some of these data collections.

Due dates

Fixed

  • 1 March – Annual Facilities Survey – Data Forms
  • 1 March – Annual Communications Pricing Survey – Data Forms
  • 7 February – Quarterly Survey
  • 1 March – Annual Telecommunications Survey – Reporting Entity Profile (REP-T)
  • 31 March – Profile Survey – Group 2 Registration Form
  • 31 March – Annual Telecommunications Survey – Data Forms
  • 31 March – Profile Survey - Reporting Entity Profile (REP-U) (if entity part of Telecommunications Survey)
  • 16 May – Profile Survey – Form 802 (Registration Lists)
  • 1 April – Semi-annual IXPL
  • 1 October – Semi-annual IXPL
  • 30 Nov – Annual return for radio and television programming undertakings
  • 30 Nov – Annual return for broadcasting distribution licensees
  • 30 Nov – Annual return of discretionary and on-demand programming services
  • 30 Nov – Aggregated annual Return Survey
  • 30 Nov – Other Broadcasting Annual Return Survey
  • 30 Nov – Annual New Media Survey - Reporting Entity Profile (REP-NM)
  • 30 Nov – Licence Fee Return (LFR) Forms & LFR Contact Form
  • 30 Nov – Profile Survey - Reporting Entity Profile (REP-U) (if entity part of Broadcasting Survey)

Variable

  • Within 30 days of any change – Reporting Entity Profile (REP-U)
  • Within 30 days of any change – Form 802 (Registration Lists)
  • No later than the due date specified in Form 911 – 9xx Forms (ownership and control)

Processes

Annual return for radio and television programming undertakings

Pursuant to the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987 and Radio Regulations, 1986, most radio and television programming licensees are required to provide an Annual Return which consists of a statement of accounts and a report on alcohol advertising for each of its undertakings and a combined report concerning contributions to Canadian talent and content development.

These reports are key components of the CRTC's ongoing monitoring plan and an authoritative source of statistics on the Canadian broadcasting distribution industry for use by all stakeholders. The statements of accounts by undertaking are used by Statistics Canada to build national and provincial economic accounts.

Annual return for broadcasting distribution licensees

Pursuant to the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, certain BDU licensees are required to provide an Annual Return which consists of a statement of accounts by province of operation, a report on financial contributions to the creation and production of Canadian programming for selected undertakings and a report on community programming.

These reports are key components of the CRTC's ongoing monitoring plan and an authoritative source of statistics on the Canadian broadcasting distribution industry for use by all stakeholders. The statements of accounts by province are used by Statistics Canada to build national and provincial economic accounts.

Annual return of discretionary and on-demand programming services

Pursuant to the Pay Television Regulations, 1990 and Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, all discretionary and on-demand Television Services licensees are required to provide an Annual Return which consists of a statement of accounts and a report on alcohol advertising for each of its undertakings.

These reports are key components of the CRTC's ongoing monitoring plan and an authoritative source of statistics on the Canadian broadcasting industry for use by all stakeholders.

Annual Licence Fee Return (LFR)

Section 5 of the Broadcasting Licence Regulations, 1997 requires that on or before November 30 of each year all licence holders whose fee revenue for the most recently completed return year exceeds the exemption level, other than those exempted by section 2, shall file a LFR. Licence holders should complete and submit the LFR even if the revenue is $0.00 after the exemption level has been applied.

New Media broadcasting undertakings

In Broadcasting Order 2009-660, the Commission amended the exemption order for New Media Broadcasting Undertakings (NMBUs), and imposed, as a condition of exemption, the requirement for NMBUs to submit information, upon request, that is required by the Commission in order to monitor the development of broadcasting in new media. In Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-582, Reporting requirements for new media broadcasting undertakings, the Commission determined that New Media Broadcasting Undertakings that are affiliates of licensed broadcasting undertakings will be required to report their revenues and expenditures on an annual basis. This survey is conducted under the authority of the Broadcasting Information Regulations, 1993.

These reports are key components of the CRTC's ongoing monitoring plan. The measurement and monitoring of new media broadcasting is necessary to ascertain its growing importance and significance in the Canadian broadcasting system.

Telecommunications Monitoring

In response to the Governor in Council (P.C. 2000-1053) direction to the CRTC issued 26 June 2000, which required the CRTC to issue annual reports on the status of competition in the Canadian telecommunications markets and on the deployment/accessibility of advanced telecommunications infrastructure and services in each of the next 5 years starting in 2001, the CRTC started to survey the telecommunications industry and issue annual monitoring reports to the Governor in Council.

These reports have evolved to become a key component of the CRTC's ongoing monitoring plan and an authoritative source of information on the Canadian telecommunications industry for use by all stakeholders. In Monitoring the Canadian telecommunications industry, Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2005-15, 18 October 2005, the CRTC notified the industry that it found the reports useful in meeting its obligations under the Telecommunications Act and it would therefore continue with its monitoring activities and the issuance of monitoring reports.

Telecommunications reports and statistics are also produced by other Federal Government departments and telecommunications regulators in other jurisdictions.

International Licences

A Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) licence is required by any company that provides telecommunications services on an international level. Section 16.1 (2) of the Telecommunications Act requires those who provide international telecommunications services within a class specified by the Commission to obtain a licence.

New licences are generally issued for a term of up to 10 years. Applications for initial licences will be processed in accordance with the existing regime, renewable on a 10-year basis.

Licensees are obligated to fulfill the conditions of licence, which were streamlined and amended as defined in Telecom Circular CRTC 2005-8, date 23 June 2005 and Telecom Decision 2008-70, 11 August 2008.

The obligations for BITS licensees include filing information through the annual telecommunications industry data collection process. Each licensee must submit electronically the required information annually through a designated Response Manager. Any changes in this information must be kept current. Failure to meet these obligations will result in the licence being revoked.

Contribution Regime

By 31 March of each year, all telecommunications service providers are required to file annual contribution reports with the Commission. Entities that have completed their annual Registration form are required to access the contribution-related input forms (forms 601 to 605) through the web-based platform. Entities that have not completed their annual Registration form can find the contribution related instructions on the Commission's website. Supporting documentation including financial statements and associated audit report or affidavit will continue to be required and must be filed with the Commission.

Telecommunications Fees

Pursuant to the Telecommunications Fees Regulations, 2010, companies, or groups of related companies, with at least $10 million in Canadian telecommunications service revenues are required to pay telecommunications fees. Entities must provide telecommunications fees invoicing information by submitting DCS data form 702.

Telecommunications Registration Lists

The Commission currently maintains a number of lists of telecommunications companies that have registered with the Commission, pursuant to various Commission decisions.

All telecommunications entities are required to confirm their entity and contact information on an annual basis via the Registration form and also to update the information within 30 days of any change. Entities should be aware that the failure to complete and submit a Registration form, or the detailed information forms, on a timely basis, will result in the removal of their information from the Commission's registration lists.

Interexchange Private Line Routes

Competitors of several ILECs that provide telecommunications services must file a semi-annual report on 1 April and 1 October of every year. In the report, the competitors must identify the IXPL routes on which they provided or offered to provide high capacity/digital data services IXPL services to at least one customer, at the equivalent of DS-3 or greater bandwidth using terrestrial facilities from a company other than the ILEC or an affiliate of the ILEC.

The Commission added form 243 – "Report of Interexchange Private Line Routes", formerly known as "Forborne Private Line Routes", to its Data Collection System (DCS). Starting with the 1 April 2006 report, competitors of the ILECs are required to use the DCS form 243 to report their IXPL routes pursuant to Telecom Order 99-434.

Competitors must note that, although the process for submitting reports to the Commission has changed as of April 2006, they are still obligated to serve copies of their report on the relevant Companies by 1 April and 1 October of every year. Competitors should also note that where a document is to be filed or served by a specific date, the document must be actually received, not merely sent, by that date.

Incumbent Pay Telephone Filing Requirement

In Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-47, Access to pay telephone service, 15 July 2004, the Commission directed the larger incumbent telephone companies to provide annually, as part of the Commission's monitoring activities, information on the number and proportion of their pay telephones with:

  • coin capacity;
  • incoming call capacity; and
  • coin capacity and incoming call capacity.

Canadian telecommunications ownership and control filing requirements

A Canadian carrier is eligible to operate as a telecommunications common carrier if it is a corporation incorporated or continued under the laws of Canada or a province and if it is Canadian owned and controlled as per section 16 of the Telecommunications Act.

The specific restrictions are explained in the FAQ.

Subsection 16(4) of the Canadian Telecommunications Common Carrier Ownership and Control Regulations requires that all carrier file ownership information with the Commission annually. The CRTC implements this requirement through the 9xx forms.

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