Canadian Federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced a new licensing policy to make it easier for small ISPs to connect rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to 5G. The Canadian Press reported that the policy designates 80 MHz spectrum for shared use through non-competitive local licensing. Qualifying users can purchase a one-year spectrum license for a nominal fee, compared to the high rates and lengthy terms required at auction.
“It means that these rural ISPs aren’t competing against the big carriers, whether they’re the regionals or the national carrier,” said telecommunications consultant Mark Goldberg. “It’s basically going to enable more of these smaller deployments, more regional deployments.”
The new policy will give access to “farms, factories, university campuses, hospitals,” and more, according to Champagne. “Our government is making access to 5G spectrum easier to ensure that Canadians, especially those in rural and remote parts of our country, can benefit from these emerging technologies.”
The Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada plans to implement the new framework in 2024, according to The Canadian Press. “It’s a real important development to help smaller internet service providers and rural connectivity, but it’s also showing greater flexibility from the department in the way spectrum is assigned,” added Goldberg.
Reader Interactions