OTTAWA – In its updated three-year plan released today, the CRTC said it will give top priority to projects such as revamping its tangible benefits policy, developing a national broadband performance testing program, and creating a new mandatory code for wireless providers.
Those initiatives are among a number of goals that the Commission has outlined for completion during 2013-16 under three key pillars it has identified as “connect,” “create” and “protect.”
The Commission's activities under the "Create" pillar ensure that Canadians have access to compelling creative content, from diverse sources, on a variety of platforms. As part of this pillar, the CRTC will review its tangible benefits policy and work to implement a better process for determining tangible benefits.
Developing a national broadband performance testing program is an initiative that falls under the CRTC's "Connect" pillar, which focuses on providing Canadians with access to quality communications and creative content services at affordable prices.
Working in conjunction with ISPs and other partners, the measurement project will help identify any limitations that may exist in providing innovative new services to Canadian consumers.
The Commission will also focus on promoting compliance and enforcements of its regulations under its "Protect" pillar. A final decision on its draft of the wireless code is expected this summer. During 2014-2015 the Commission plants to identify any non-compliance issues and act upon them through existing CRTC mechanisms.
"While we have made an effort to listen more attentively to the concerns of Canadian consumers, we have not lost sight of the needs of citizens and creators," said CRTC chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais. The activities…reflect our commitment to ensuring that citizens can participate more fully in Canada’s democratic and cultural life. They will also ensure that creators can develop innovative content and deliver it across multiple platforms to audiences here in Canada and in other countries."
Other objectives identified the Create, Connect and Protect pillars for 2013-2016 include:
Create:
* Public consultation on television
* Genre protection
* Category A specialty services
* Commercial radio policy
* Cultural diversity policy
* Ethnic broadcasting policy
* Ethnic radio licensing
* Native radio policy
* Distribution and licence renewal of independent television services
* Renewal of French-language television licences
* Renewal of Rogers’ television licences
* Community television policy
* BCE/Astral merger
* Licence renewals for English-language television groups (Bell, Shaw, Corus)
* Vertical integration framework
* Obligations under section 41 of the Official Languages Act, Part VII
Connect:
* Regulatory framework and modernization plan for Northwestel
* Wholesale services policy
* Competitor quality of service indicators
* Model municipal access agreement
* Enhanced basic service objective
* New Wholesale high-speed access services
* Access to numbering resources
* Payphones
* Video relay service
Protect:
* Implementation of enhanced 9-1-1 capabilities
* Inquiry into 9-1-1 services
* Administration and enforcement of UTRs and CASL
* Compliance for UTRs and CASL
* Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules
* Permanent number registration
* Loudness of commercials
* Stolen wireless handsets
* Consumer outreach activities
* Emergency alerting
