SPECTRUM: SaskTel tells Industry committee that 700 MHz auction will not benefit rural Canadians

By Perry Hoffman

OTTAWA – Businesses in rural Canada will not be able to benefit from next-generation wireless services because the smaller wireless operators will be unable to purchase 700 MHz spectrum in the auction scheduled for later this year, argued provincial Crown Corp. SaskTel in an appearance before a Parliamentary committee this week. Speaking at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Bob Hersche, senior director, corporate counsel and regulatory affairs at SaskTel, explained that despite having a massive fibre network that reaches every town with more than 100 people, the company still needs 700 MHz spectrum to...