OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied a request from Bell and Telus to replace the basic international telecommunications services (BITS) licensing regime with a registration system. Instead, the commission has decided to leave the current licensing regime as is, ruling it allows for more effective enforcement than a registration system.
In its year-long review of the BITS licensing regime the commission received submissions from Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Bell Canada, Saskatchewan Telecommunications, Télébec, MTS Allstream Inc., Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Communications.
The BITS licensing regime for telecommunications services providers (TSPs) was put in place a decade in order to regulate instances of anti-competitive conduct by companies that provides telecommunication services on an international level. Under the regime TSPs pay contributions for international traffic. The reporting and remitting of contribution was made a condition of licence for TSPs who operate telecommunications facilities used in transporting traffic between Canada and another country.
Currently there are two classes of international TSPs. Class A licensees: TSPs who operate telecommunications facilities, whether owned by them or leased from a separate facilities provider. Class B licensees: TSPs who do not operate telecommunications facilities, whether owned by them or leased from a separate facilities provider.
Three years ago the commission substantially streamlined the BITS licensing regime by eliminating a number of filing requirements, and by extending the term of the BITS licenses to the 10-year maximum. As a result of the amendments made, Class A and Class B licensees are now subject to the same conditions of licence.
In its decision, the commission ruled that since the conditions for Class A and B licenses are identical, they should be combined into one. The commission says it will review the documentation relating to issuing a BITS licence and will proceed with merging the two classes in the near future.
