OTTAWA – Encouraging competition in Canada’s wireless industry should be top of mind during future spectrum auctions, according to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
The consumer group said that its comments come in response to some telco incumbents requests to Industry Canada to drop the practice of reserving spectrum for new entrants during the auction of spectrum in 2500 MHz band.
Noting that “the Big Three” currently hold the rights to 85% of the total available spectrum, and that Bell, Rogers and their joint affiliate Inukshuk own nearly two thirds of the 2500 MHz spectrum, PIAC said that Industry Canada must continue to cap the incumbents’ ability to acquire new spectrum in order to help promote compeition.
“PIAC urges to the Department to institute only those measures that promote equitable access to spectrum for new entrants and smaller players, to support the goal of increased competition in the market”, its reply comments read.
"This is not simply a matter of getting the most money, but also of fostering the most efficient market for wireless," said Michael Janigan, general counsel for PIAC, in a statement.
