OTTAWA – Industry Minister James Moore announced Wednesday the Government of Canada will hold consultations on AWS-4 spectrum.
The rollout of services using this spectrum “will improve mobile services network coverage in virtually all rural and remote areas of Canada, which supports greater competition and provides more choice for wireless consumers,” reads the Industry Canada press release. “This wide-scale coverage also benefits commercial users, such as those in the resource sector, that work in isolated areas.”
AWS-4 spectrum can support mobile services using both satellite- and terrestrial-based networks across the country.
The Government is consulting on proposed changes that would allow licensees to launch new services and create new competition in the Canadian wireless market, says the department. The proposed licensing framework for this spectrum will generally align with that of the United States, will create access to affordable equipment and will enable this spectrum to be put to use for the benefit of wireless consumers.
Montreal’s TerreStar Solutions, which is already licensed to use AWS-4 spectrum, praised the move. This policy consultation by the federal government “are critical ingredients. They will attract new capital to the wireless market and make a fourth competitor in every region of the country a reality,” said company president André Tremblay.
"This is the last regulatory milestone enabling TerreStar Solutions to become an active player in the Canadian wireless landscape. The national AWS-4 spectrum is critical for the wireless broadband network of tomorrow. It will allow affordable mobile Internet services to become reality for all Canadians,” added TerreStar CFO and Treasurer, Jacques Leduc.
