Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, thank you for your invitation to appear before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology this afternoon.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the terminal attachment program and its advisory committee, the TAPAC.
For many years, the Terminal Attachment Program Advisory Committee, or TAPAC, has ensured that wireline telecommunications equipment connects safely to public telecommunications networks without interfering with or degrading the service of other users. The terminal attachment program exists to prevent harm to the telecommunication service providers network and personnel and to ensure that telephones sold in Canada afford access to telecommunication service to the hearing-impaired. This program deals with terminal equipment such as telephones, facsimile machines, modems, and digital subscriber lines, DSL equipment that connects through cord or wire to public telecommunications networks.
The terminal attachment program was called upon by telecom decision 82-14 of the CRTC in 1982. This decision allowed customers to connect their own telephones to the public telecommunications network. The commission pointed to TAPAC as the appropriate forum to develop the standards that would permit the implementation of this decision.
Industry Canada, back then Communications Canada, was the only body authorized to test and certify terminal equipment. The program has evolved over the years while constantly streamlining its regulations. As a result, all testing is now performed by recognized private sector testing laboratories. Certification was replaced with a less onerous process called supplier's declaration of conformity. The technical requirements that terminal equipment must meet are now based on regional or international standards. This has significantly reduced the burden on the industry, while ensuring that basic requirements to prevent network harm are met. The program regulatory requirements are updated about twice a year to include new technologies or to remove obsolete requirements.
TAPAC acts as a direct consultation mechanism between Industry Canada and the telecommunications industry. It is well attended and has proven to be very effective in providing the industry with a forum to openly discuss the requirements of the program and to advise the department.
By design, TAPAC has a balanced representation matrix from all sectors of the telecommunications industry, and I have put a copy of the terms of reference of TAPAC on the table for your information.
The terminal equipment environment has changed over the years, but subscribers are still served through shared access facilities, which have been in place for decades. The need to ensure trouble-free access to telecommunications service has intensified with the introduction of technologies such as DSL that try to stretch the reach and speed of the access facilities.
The program also covers technical requirements that implement social policies. I am referring here to hearing aid compatibility and volume control requirements for telephones. These requirements are increasingly important as our society ages.
Other aspects of the terminal attachment program that go beyond the actual advisory committee and requirements development work are compliance measuring, technical verification, and the enforcement process. These activities ensure compliance with technical requirements and are conducted by different groups within Industry Canada. These groups derive their authority from the Telecommunications Act and the Department of Industry Act.
The Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, in the U.S. has a similar approach to our terminal attachment program. Canadian and U.S. requirements have been harmonized to a large extent. It is important to note that in the U.S., the FCC held a hearing to review its terminal attachment program in July 1999. The commission found that the industry was adamant that mandated and enforced requirements were still required. Although some processes were changed, the FCC still has terminal equipment requirements in their rules.
Similarly, in Canada, comments received in response to the questions posed by the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel during its consultation process indicated that, in general, the Canadian telecommunications industry continues to believe that the program and its advisory committee are still relevant and necessary.
In conclusion, the program is under constant review to ensure relevancy as technology advances and every opportunity is taken to deregulate.
The ongoing need for the program is evidenced by an active participation in TAPAC from a good cross-section of the telecommunications industry. The program and TAPAC play a vital role by protecting the integrity of the public communications networks and by providing access to telecommunications services to the hearing-impaired.
Thank you.