OTTAWA and WOODSTOCK, NB – After receiving "thoughtful feedback" on Industry Canada's consultation on policy changes in the 3500 MHz band, Industry Minister James Moore was quick to reassure stakeholders that rural Canadians will not lose their broadband services as a result.
“Under no circumstances will our government take spectrum licences away from any local Internet service provider that is providing Internet service to rural Canadians”, Minister Moore said in a statement. "The decisions resulting from this consultation will ensure that the 3500 MHz spectrum band is deployed in the best interests of Canadian consumers, especially those living in rural areas."
While it wasn’t clear whether those comments were aimed rural broadband service provider Xplornet Communications, it certainly addressed some of that company’s publicly expressed concerns. As Cartt.ca reported, Xplornet president Allison Lenehan cautioned that Industry Canada’s proposal to reclassify some rural areas located near large urban centres, and therefore re-designate the spectrum currently used for fixed wireless high-speed Internet in those areas as cell phone spectrum, could mean that those residents who already have cellphone coverage will lose their home Internet connection as a consequence.
Minister Moore called the notion that the consultation will somehow result in rural Canadians losing broadband services “completely false”.
In response to Industry Canada’s statement, Xplornet issued their own saying that it was “delighted that the Minister has clarified that spectrum licences properly in use for delivering Internet services to Canadians will not be taken away.”
“As an Internet service provider dedicated to servicing rural Canadians, Xplornet shares the Minister’s vision of ensuring that the 3500 MHZ spectrum is deployed in the best interest of all Canadian consumers and looks forward to finding solutions to improve rural Internet service through the consultation process”, Lenehan said in the statement.
Minister Moore announced a “use it or lose it" policy last November whereby Industry Canada said it would not renew 3500 MHz spectrum licences for holders that had failed to have met all conditions of licence, including deployment. Any licences denied a renewal would be returned to the Government, he added, which would consider a new process for awarding them. Currently, Inukshuk, Telus, Tbaytel, ABC, Cintek, Cogeco, Chatham Internet Access, ccRoute, Netago, and Xplornet hold 3500 MHz licenses in Canada.
