Participation in the CCTS

The CRTC requires a service provider to become a participant in the CCTS when the CCTS receives an in-scope complaint from a customer about that service provider.^[5] When a service provider fails to join the CCTS as required, the CCTS refers the service provider to the CRTC, which then considers whether to initiate enforcement action against that service provider. We maintain a list on our website of all service providers referred to the CRTC for failure to comply with the requirement to sign up.

In 2022, the CCTS initiated the sign-up process for 26 service providers that were required to become a PSP. We signed up 21 providers.  Four service providers – Optitel Mobile, 360 Net Solutions Staffing Corp. (Dunn Vision Telecom), 9212-4080 Quebec Inc. (Secuconn) and Systèmes Byzantines Inc. (Byzantines Internet) – failed to become a participant of the CCTS and were referred to the CRTC. We did not complete the sign up for one provider because of insufficient information.

The CRTC initiated a number of compliance and enforcement actions in 2022 against service providers due to their failure to sign up with the CCTS.

• In March 2022, the CRTC initiated a show cause proceeding against 9319-4082 Québec inc. (Haute-Vitesse.com) for its failure to become a participant of the CCTS (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-63). In January 2023, the CRTC issued a decision (Telecom Decision CRTC 2023-7) finding that 9319-4082 Québec Inc. (Haute-Vitesse.com) violated the Telecommunications Act for failing to become a participant in the CCTS from June 2021 to its dissolution in February 2022 but that it is no longer providing services that fall within the scope of the CCTS. .
• In November 2022, the CRTC issued Telecom Decision CRTC 2022-323 and Telecom Order CRTC 2022-323, which ordered Net2Web Inc. to join the CCTS within 60 days of the order. The CRTC also imposed a $50,000 penalty on Net2Web Inc. and a $15,000 penalty on Naved Ashraf, the director of Net2Web Inc., for failing to join the CCTS. Net2Web Inc. failed to join the CCTS within 60 days of the order, and the CCTS advised the CRTC accordingly.

The CCTS continues to receive complaints from customers whose service providers are not yet PSPs. Given the consequences of a provider’s failure to participate, the CCTS makes considerable effort to educate new service providers about the requirement to join and the consequences of any failure to participate.

Given that the requirement to participate in the CCTS, which is triggered for telecom service providers by the receipt of a customer complaint, has existed since 2011 and the CCTS already has over 400 PSPs, the newest participants are typically very small service providers. Sometimes, it can be challenging for the CCTS to contact and sign up very small providers — some may not be familiar with the CRTC or telecom industry regulations, and they may have limited resources and staff. The CCTS expends a considerable amount of effort to educate and work with these service providers to explain the regulatory requirement and benefits of CCTS participation.

Over time, the CCTS has simplified the sign-up process and documents to ensure that service providers understand our process and their requirements to participate.

We continue to see success in getting new service providers to participate when required to do so. The CCTS signed up a significant majority – 81% (21 out of 26) – of the service providers that were required to join in 2022.

We will continue to seek opportunities to streamline our sign-up process and work with smaller service providers to ensure they understand the requirement to participate in the CCTS.