What Is a CRTC BITS Licence? Canadian Business Guide

What does BITS stand for?

BITS stands for Basic International Telecommunications Services. In practical terms, it relates to telecommunications traffic carried between Canada and another country. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) publishes information about international telecommunications service providers and BITS licensees.

The licence concerns a provider’s regulatory standing for that activity. It should not be confused with a general approval of a provider’s products. It also does not replace the customer checks needed for a particular business number, destination, messaging program, emergency-calling arrangement or port request.

Why does Canada require a BITS licence?

Canada regulates providers that carry basic international telecommunications traffic so the CRTC can identify participants, impose applicable licence conditions and collect required information. This supports regulatory oversight of international telecommunications activity. The CRTC’s BITS responsibilities and obligations page describes requirements that may apply to licensees, while its separate telecommunications provider registration overview explains registration categories more broadly.

For a buyer, the useful takeaway is modest but important: a verifiable record helps identify the legal entity connected with the licensed activity. Buyers should still assess the actual service terms, technical capabilities, rates and limitations.

Who holds the OfficeSpaces licence?

The legal entity supplied for the OfficeSpaces phone service is Office Spaces Inc. The supplied BITS licence file is 8190-O151-202601012.

Open the user-supplied CRTC public-record verification page

Verification note: the linked portal page is the CRTC public-record page supplied to OfficeSpaces for this file. Because portal search interfaces and deep links can change, customers should match both the exact legal name and file number rather than relying on branding alone.

What the licence covers

At a high level, a BITS licence relates to carrying basic international telecommunications traffic between Canada and another country. A licensee is responsible for the conditions and regulatory filings applicable to its licensed activity. Those obligations can evolve, so the CRTC’s current published material should be treated as the primary source.

This scope is narrower than the full customer experience. A business phone service may involve telephone numbers, upstream carriers, devices, software, calling plans, taxes, emergency-calling processes and separate messaging requirements. The BITS record is one part of that picture.

Businesses with cross-border teams should document their intended calling countries, expected volumes, user locations and continuity needs before comparing providers. That short requirements list makes it easier to distinguish a provider’s regulatory record from the account-specific capabilities being purchased. It also gives the provider enough context to identify restrictions before a critical number or workflow is moved.

What the licence does not guarantee

The licence indicates	The licence does not establish
A named legal entity has a BITS licensing record for relevant international telecommunications activity.	That the CRTC endorses, recommends or certifies the provider or its service quality.
The licensee is subject to applicable licence conditions and regulatory responsibilities.	That rates, privacy practices, cybersecurity, uptime or customer-support performance have been approved.
Customers have an identifier they can use when checking the public record.	That every country, number type, feature, carrier route or international destination is available.
The record can support informed due diligence about the legal provider.	Authorization for a particular SMS campaign, facilities-based carrier status or universal coverage.

How to verify the record

Open the supplied record page. Use the CRTC portal link above rather than a third-party badge or screenshot.
Match the legal entity. Look for Office Spaces Inc, not only the OfficeSpaces product name.
Match the file number. Confirm 8190-O151-202601012 character for character.
Review the current record. Read the live portal information and any linked documents instead of relying on an undated marketing statement.
Ask for clarification. If the interface, record or service entity is unclear, contact OfficeSpaces before purchasing or activating service.

Public portals sometimes change navigation, filters or anchors. If the deep link no longer lands on the expected entry, begin from the CRTC telecommunications pages and search using the legal entity and file number.

What customers should confirm before international calling

International calling is not one universal feature. Before activation, ask the provider to confirm the actual configuration for your account:

Which destination countries and regions are enabled?
Is the requested local, toll-free or mobile number type currently available?
What caller-ID presentation is supported in each destination?
Are rates quoted per minute, by zone or as part of a plan, and which taxes or surcharges apply?
Are there plan limits, fair-use terms, deposits, spending controls or fraud-prevention restrictions?
Which upstream carrier, number-inventory and regulatory requirements affect eligibility?
Does the number support SMS or MMS, and is the proposed business use case eligible?

Availability can differ by country, number type, inventory, carrier and intended use. Review the current OfficeSpaces pricing information and obtain written confirmation for material requirements. To see the customer workflow, use the interactive phone-system demonstration; illustrative screens do not replace account-specific service confirmation.

VoIP 9-1-1 responsibilities

Voice over Internet Protocol services can handle emergency calls differently from traditional landline service. The CRTC provides VoIP 9-1-1 guidance for consumers and providers. Before activating any business phone system, confirm whether and how 9-1-1 is included, what limitations apply, and what address or location information must be maintained.

Keep the service address and other required location information accurate.
Tell every employee, contractor or other user how emergency calling works on the service.
When calling emergency services, be ready to state the caller’s current location and callback number.
Maintain an alternate way to call emergency services, particularly during an Internet, equipment or power outage.
Review emergency-calling notices whenever users or devices move to another location.

This article does not assert a specific OfficeSpaces 9-1-1 configuration. Customers should obtain the current service-specific disclosure before activation.

Porting an existing business number

Number portability can let a customer keep an existing number when changing providers, but no number or timeline is universally eligible. The losing and receiving carriers may need to validate the account holder, account number, service address, authorized contact, number status and compatible service area. The CRTC publishes a general local number portability overview.

Use details exactly as they appear on the current carrier’s bill or customer service record. Resolve freezes, overdue balances or mismatched information when required. Most importantly, do not cancel the old service before the receiving provider confirms that the port is complete; early cancellation can jeopardize the number or interrupt service. Keep contingency routing in place for a business-critical line.

Calling and messaging are different permissions

A number that supports voice calling does not automatically support business texting, and a BITS licence does not itself authorize an SMS campaign. Messaging can depend on the number type, carrier, sender registration, destination, traffic pattern and use case. Canadian anti-spam and privacy obligations may also apply.

Before sending business messages, confirm the consent basis, sender identity, expected frequency, opt-out method and recordkeeping process. Ask whether registration or vetting is required and whether prohibited-content or throughput rules apply. Build an approval and unsubscribe process before launching—not after complaints occur.

Support and complaints

Start by giving the provider a reasonable opportunity to resolve billing, service, porting or account concerns. OfficeSpaces customers can use the contact page, email info@officespaces.co, or consult the support guide. Keep relevant dates, invoices, ticket numbers and written commitments.

The CRTC publishes telephone complaint guidance. For an unresolved complaint that falls within its mandate, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) may provide an independent route for eligible consumer and small-business telecom complaints. Review the CRTC’s CCTS information and the CCTS’s current eligibility rules. This statement does not claim that Office Spaces Inc is currently a CCTS participant; verify current participation and jurisdiction directly.

Questions Canadian businesses should ask any phone provider

Which legal entity provides the service, and which regulator or registration record applies?
Which numbers, destinations, calling features and messaging use cases are available for our exact location and business activity?
What is included in the monthly price, and what usage, carrier, tax, setup or porting charges are additional?
How does 9-1-1 work, what location information is required, and what happens during Internet or power outages?
What information is required to port our number, and how should we maintain continuity during the change?
How are fraud controls, account permissions, recordings, transcripts and customer data handled?
What support and escalation routes are available if service does not work as expected?

Frequently asked questions

Is a BITS licence the same as CRTC approval?

No. A BITS licence is a regulatory licence for relevant international telecommunications activity. It is not an endorsement, accreditation or certification of a provider’s products, rates, security, reliability or customer service.

Does Office Spaces Inc identify a BITS licence file?

Yes. Office Spaces Inc identifies the file as 8190-O151-202601012. Customers should verify the legal entity and file number through the supplied CRTC public-record page.

Does the licence mean every international destination is available?

No. Destination access can depend on the plan, upstream carrier, number type, inventory, fraud controls, local rules and the proposed use case.

Does a BITS licence authorize business SMS?

No. Messaging eligibility and authorization are separate. Consent, sender registration, opt-out, carrier, anti-spam, number-type and use-case requirements may apply.

Can every Canadian business number be ported?

No. Porting depends on carrier, account, number status and service-area validation. A provider should confirm eligibility, and customers should not cancel existing service before completion is confirmed.

Does a BITS licence guarantee VoIP 9-1-1?

No. Customers must confirm the specific emergency-calling configuration and limitations before activation, maintain required address information, inform users and keep an alternate calling method.

Where can I ask an OfficeSpaces service question?

Use the OfficeSpaces contact page or email info@officespaces.co for current account-specific information.

Sources and review notes

Primary CRTC sources used for this guide:

Reviewed: August 30, 2026 by the Office Spaces Editorial Team. The Office Spaces Inc legal name, licence file and public-record URL were supplied by OfficeSpaces.

Regulatory requirements, portal links and service capabilities can change. Confirm current terms and eligibility before relying on this guide for a purchase or operational decision. To report a factual error or request a correction, email info@officespaces.co.