3500 MHz auction rules to be part of the release
TORONTO – Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains will deliver a “speech on the Government of Canada’s commitment to make life more affordable for Canadians,” at the Scarborough Civic Centre Library at 4 p.m. Thursday, it was announced today.
Sources tell Cartt.ca the announcement will define more of the parameters around the Liberal government’s commitment to a 25% reduction in Canadian mobile wireless prices going forward and also mark the release of the rules for the 3500 MHz spectrum auction which will happen later this year.
Spectrum costs have long been a bone of contention for Canadian wireless companies and it was a major topic of conversation and contention during the recent CRTC wireless policy review hearing.
As for the promised 25% cut in wireless prices, while it was an important part of the Liberal election platform, where the party provided costing using 2018 data, there has been confusion and some questions about when the government would actually start the clock on the price cut demand when Minister Bains’ mandate letter was released in December.
That letter said if the price reduction target is not achieved within two years, the minister “can expand MVNO rules” along with the CRTC mandate on “affordable pricing.”
Then, last month, Telus began telling customers it has already hit that price cut target.
Watch Cartt.ca for more on this story later today.
