OTTAWA-GATINEAU -The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that telecommunications service providers will no longer be asked to track or report on certain data. The reporting requirements are being lightened because the information is either available from other sources or no longer relevant.
"As part of our ongoing efforts to reduce the regulatory burden on the industry, we reviewed the value of the reports that are submitted to us," said Leonard Katz, the CRTC's Vice-Chairman of Telecommunications. "Today's announcement is an example of how we continue to seek more efficient and proportionate ways of regulating the Canadian telecommunications industry."
Effective immediately, the CRTC has eliminated certain requirements, such as reporting on pay-telephone competition and tracking customer complaints regarding modem hijackings. In addition, telecommunications service providers will not be required to file an annual report on the affordability of telephone services. The CRTC will continue to gather information on this matter by using other sources and may request data from the companies when necessary.
The CRTC is an independent public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.
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Backgrounder
CRTC reporting requirements for telecommunications service providers
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will stop collecting certain data from telecommunications service providers. Some of the requirements that are being eliminated are described below.
Modem hijacking
Consumers with dial-up connections to the Internet can be vulnerable to a fraudulent activity known as "modem hijacking." Modem hijacking occurs when a program is downloaded from certain websites or pop-up windows, usually without the consumer's knowledge. The downloaded program causes the modem to dial phone numbers in foreign countries, resulting in long-distance charges. Given the large number of complaints received in 2004, the Commission had asked the major telephone companies to track customer complaints relating to such incidents.
The majority of Canadians now subscribe to high-speed Internet services. With the shift from dial-up connections, the number of complaints of modem hijacking has decreased significantly. Consequently, the requirement to track complaints is no longer necessary.
Telemarketing
Telecommunications service providers were required to file on June 30, 2009, the last of their semi-annual reports on telemarketing complaints. These reports are no longer necessary with the existence of the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). All telemarketing complaints are now filed with the National DNCL, who then forwards them to the CRTC.
Pay telephones
The CRTC monitored the impact of competition on the pay-telephone market through annual reports filed by the major telephone companies. These reports provided information on the installation and removal of pay telephones. Eliminating the requirement to file this report will not prevent the Commission from monitoring the impact of pay-telephone competition. The Commission can request information on telephone installations and removals, as needed.
Affordability of telecommunications services
The CRTC required the major telephone companies to file annual reports on the affordability of telephone services. However, much of the data contained in these reports is available from other sources, including Statistics Canada surveys. The CRTC will continue to monitor affordability using alternative sources and may also request data from the companies when necessary.
