The government of Canada aims to award mmWave frequencies in 2024
The government of Canada has announced the launch of a consultation process to award millimeter Wave (mmWave) spectrum bands with the aim of promoting competition in the local mobile market.
The government said that the decision to launch a mmWave Licensing Framework Consultation will enable Canadians to benefit from higher quality wireless services and innovative new applications that use 5G technologies.
“Our government recognizes that high-quality telecommunication services are crucial in the everyday lives of Canadians. That’s why we are continuing to make more spectrum available, with the right rules in place to improve competition, innovation and affordability in the industry. We are excited to hear how this spectrum can be put to good use to create innovative 5G applications to benefit Canadians,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
The government noted that the mmWave bands (26, 28 and 38 GHz) are expected to support both highly localized mobile 5G services and new applications for industries such as manufacturing and transportation.
This consultation follows a repurposing decision announced in 2019 and is the next major step in the lead-up to a mmWave spectrum auction planned for 2024.
The consultation also proposes to make additional mmWave spectrum available through a future non-competitive licensing process to support new and non-traditional users.
The government highlighted that consultation will be open for a 120-day comment period.
Last year, the government of Canada raised a total of CAD8.9 billion (currently $7.1 billion) in its auction of 3.5 GHz spectrum, which will be used by local carrier to further expand 5G services in the country.
The spectrum auction, initially set to take place in June 2020 and delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, closed after eight days and 103 rounds of bidding.
5G licenses in this key band were made available based on 172 localized service areas covering the entire country, allowing bidders to target geographic markets, including rural areas.
The government noted that a total of 23 companies participated in the auction. In total, 1,495 out of 1,504 available licenses were awarded to 15 operators, including 757 licenses to small and regional providers across the country.
The government had reserved up to 50 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band for small and regional providers to enhance competition in the Canadian wireless market. The spectrum acquired by these companies will support the deployment of high-quality wireless services so consumers and businesses across Canada, including those in rural and remote regions, the government said.
Local operators Rogers, Bell, Telus, Videotron, Xplornet and SaskTel all secured 5G licenses in that spectrum auction.
