CTS 2021: Debating the virtue of set-aside spectrum

TORONTO – Spectrum was on a lot of peoples’ minds at this year’s Canadian Telecom Summit, which is hardly surprising given Canada’s slow pace of 5G deployment compounded by the fact ISED has yet to hand over the 3.5 GHz spectrum that was auctioned off this past summer that raised $8.9 billion. “Four years ago, there was apparently a race to 5G,” said Ted Woodhead, senior vice-president of regulatory at Rogers Communications, who spoke on the summit’s regulatory panel on Tuesday. “For those of us in the room who are Canadians, that race is over, we lost it.” Woodhead pointed out...