OTTAWA – Last week, the CRTC made public its work plan from now through 2009.
Click here to review the rather massive amount of work facing the Commission and its staff.
"Major developments are taking place in broadcasting and telecommunications, which need to be factored into our decision-making as we pursue our mandate under the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts," said CRTC chairman Charles Dalfen, in a statement.
"In telecommunications, technological advances are enabling competition to take hold. It is our aim to continue to move towards deregulation throughout the telecommunications sector so that market forces may prevail, while at the same time ensuring that all Canadians continue to have access to high quality, reliable and affordable services."
"Broadcasting is also being impacted by technological and economic developments, prompting the Commission to review some of its key regulatory policies and guidelines. For example, in 2006-2007 we will conclude our review of the Commercial Radio Policy 1998. We also intend to launch a public process on Canadian television, preparatory to the licence renewal hearings of the major over-the-air broadcasters."
Dalfen also pledged – as have others – that the Commission will remain committed to getting faster.
"We recognize the practical needs of our regulated industries for timely decisions, and so our plan includes a number of initiatives that will continue the streamlining and speeding-up of our processes. We will implement service standards for most of these processes, and are committed to meeting and surpassing them," he said.
The Commission will also examine the recommendations of the Telecom Policy Review Panel, "with a view to ensuring that regulation, where it continues to be required, is responsive to the needs of Canadian individuals and enterprises," said Dalfen.
Plus, this is no rigid plan. Things will happen to alter its course. "The Commission is well aware of the rapid pace of change and the likelihood of unforeseen developments in the three-year period covered by this plan. We will therefore review the progress that has been made each year and adjust our priorities to keep pace with the evolving environment," he added.
