A few minutes ago, Industry Minister James Moore made an announcement regarding “consumer choice and better services in the wireless market.” Or at least that is what is what this media alert that was put out last night. The announcement is regarding another spectrum auction in 2015. This one is for the 2500 MHz spectrum. This spectrum is ideal for rural areas as it will cover large distances. There will be be rules in place including spectrum caps which will ensure that 4 or more providers use the spectrum. Speaking of using the spectrum, if companies don’t use it, they will lose it. Moore said that this is all designed to offer rural Canadians better wireless service among offering Canadians more and better service. Basically the tagline that the Government has been using for some time in their commercials that target the big three.
You can get the full details of the announcement from the Government’s perspective here.
When questioned by reporters about the fact that previous auctions have not created the level of competition that the government wants, Minister Moore admitted there have been challenges. But he points out that cable companies have been able to break into the wireless sector. Thus change can come in a short amount of time. One other thing he tried to do is dispel the notion that the government is battling the big three telcos saying simply that they sometimes have “robust debates.”
My take on this? This announcement comes just before the start of the 700 MHz auction next week. Thus the timing is interesting. It can also be seen as another attempt to lure a foreign telco to Canada. But that’s my $0.02 worth. I’ll be reaching out to my contacts at Rogers and Telus to see what they think. There is the chance that they can’t respond due to the upcoming 700 MHz auction, but it can’t hurt to try. I’d also be interested in what you think. Please post a comment and share your thoughts.
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This entry was posted on January 10, 2014 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Canada, wireless. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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BREAKING: Canadian Industry Minister Announces Spectrum Auction In 2015
A few minutes ago, Industry Minister James Moore made an announcement regarding “consumer choice and better services in the wireless market.” Or at least that is what is what this media alert that was put out last night. The announcement is regarding another spectrum auction in 2015. This one is for the 2500 MHz spectrum. This spectrum is ideal for rural areas as it will cover large distances. There will be be rules in place including spectrum caps which will ensure that 4 or more providers use the spectrum. Speaking of using the spectrum, if companies don’t use it, they will lose it. Moore said that this is all designed to offer rural Canadians better wireless service among offering Canadians more and better service. Basically the tagline that the Government has been using for some time in their commercials that target the big three.
You can get the full details of the announcement from the Government’s perspective here.
When questioned by reporters about the fact that previous auctions have not created the level of competition that the government wants, Minister Moore admitted there have been challenges. But he points out that cable companies have been able to break into the wireless sector. Thus change can come in a short amount of time. One other thing he tried to do is dispel the notion that the government is battling the big three telcos saying simply that they sometimes have “robust debates.”
My take on this? This announcement comes just before the start of the 700 MHz auction next week. Thus the timing is interesting. It can also be seen as another attempt to lure a foreign telco to Canada. But that’s my $0.02 worth. I’ll be reaching out to my contacts at Rogers and Telus to see what they think. There is the chance that they can’t respond due to the upcoming 700 MHz auction, but it can’t hurt to try. I’d also be interested in what you think. Please post a comment and share your thoughts.
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This entry was posted on January 10, 2014 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Canada, wireless. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.