Wireless companies among industries targeted to adhere to new disclosure rules

Cellular and other wireless companies will be subject to new CRTC reporting requirements starting this year. Responding to a federal directive to beef up its reporting on the state of competition and broadband deployment in Canada, the commission may require all telecom companies to complete a new three-part disclosure form, with the first installment due this summer. A March 21 background report prepared by Lemay-Yates Associates Inc for the CRTC says the new requirements would apply to telcos, CLECs, resellers, wireless companies, ISPs, cablecos, and satellite carriers. Industry reaction to the new reporting rules has generally been positive, saying they will help government and industry players identify and respond to problems sooner. Ted Woodhead, director of government relations at Rogers AT&T Wireless, says WSPs already provide much of this information to Statistics Canada and Industry Canada. As such, he doesn’t see it as a significant new burden, depending on the scope of the data required. However, he wonders how the CRTC will be able to handle the increased workload, considering its limited resources. "The telecom directorate is certainly not overly large, and there’s a busy agenda of things before the commission," says Woodhead, who worked in the commission’s telecom division before joining Rogers last November. The report doesn’t evaluate what resources would be required at the CRTC to wade through the data. Woodhead says it is important that information filed be placed on the public record for all to see. As well, he says the Lemay-Yates report should have listed a requirement for more financial data to be filed.Ian Scott agrees. The VP government affairs at Call-Net Enterprises Inc says he’d like to see incumbent telcos, in particular, disclosing more numbers. "Financial performance is an important part of it. While there’s some financial indicators , I’m not sure there’s enough to provide a good view of the financial health of the industry." The background report, stemming from a June 2000 Order in Council, will form the basis of a two-day consultation beginning April 18 – Telecom PN2000-175. The CRTC plans to send the new survey forms to telecom companies by May 18. It has until Sept. 28 to file its first annual report on the state of Canadian telecom with the federal government.

Wireless companies among industries targeted to adhere to new disclosure rules

News | 04/03/2001 4:00 am EDT

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