VANCOUVER – With just days until the start of the 700 MHz auction, Industry Minister James Moore said Friday that the government will hold an auction for 2500 MHz spectrum starting April 14, 2015.
During a press conference in Vancouver, Minister Moore released the framework outlining the process for auctioning 2500 MHz spectrum licences as well as the conditions that licence holders must respect after the auction. Those rules, which the Minister said are “specifically designed to put Canadian consumers first”, include:
– spectrum caps to ensure that four or more providers have the opportunity to access 2500 MHz spectrum;
– smaller geographic licence areas to provide more opportunity for rural Internet service providers to participate in this auction; and
– strict provisions on transfers of the 2500 MHz spectrum.
"Today's announcement means Canadian consumers in urban and rural areas will soon benefit from the deployment of advanced mobile and broadband services across the country, which will lead to better, faster Internet services on the latest technologies,” Minister Moore said in the announcement. “The rules for this auction, like those for the upcoming 700 MHz auction, were designed to support more choice in our wireless market while putting the interests of consumers first."
Although less desirable than 700 MHz, Industry Canada described spectrum in the 2500 MHz band as “ideal for delivering fast, reliable service on the latest smart phones and tablets”, noting that it can also be used to provide fixed broadband Internet services in rural areas. It also supports the long-term evolution (LTE) network standard.
Auction applications are due on November 27, 2014.
