CRTC unveils busy schedule in action plan

The CRTC is working to ensure Canadians have access to high-quality telecom services, reflecting consumer needs and proper values. The commission laid out its objectives in the CRTC Action Plan 2000-2003. It seeks to make competition a reality, through contribution collection, co-location and interconnection, and studying competitive issues. In the short term, the commission plans to review the contribution mechanism, with any adjustments being announced in the fall. Implementation of the new rules is slated for January 2002. The commission also wants to ensure orderly transition as SaskTel moves from provincial to federal jurisdiction. In order to ensure transition to competition through regulation, the CRTC will adjust regulatory frameworks as a result of ILEC amalgamations and will address applications of providing ILEC services to competitors. The price cap regime is undergoing review in the summer and fall of this year, while forbearance issues are part of an ongoing schedule. Matters like interconnection tariffs for ILECs and CLECs and bundled services will also be on the table during this period. This fall and the winter of 2001-2002 will see the commission dedicate itself to the provision of services to remote and rural areas. This will involve such issues as Northwestel’s toll competition and carrier access tariffs for smaller independent telcos. Public interest objectives are expected to be an ongoing concern for the CRTC over the next three years. The commission pledges to address issues like DA, consumer privacy, payphone competition and wireless 911. It also plans to investigate unsolicited communications like telemarketing, spamming, faxes and email. Finally the commission is setting an objective of handling numbering issues. By the fall of this year, it wants to develop a strategy to address the exhaust of the North American Numbering Plan. Also on the agenda is the implementation of new area codes, as they become necessary, numbering guidelines and reporting requirements and specific numbering issues such as 500/900 portability and rate centre consolidation.

CRTC unveils busy schedule in action plan

News | July 31, 2000

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