Hey IT Nerd! How Long Will The Spectrum Auction Last?

Here’s a question that I got in my inbox last night:

IT Nerd. I was wondering if you had a sense of how long the spectrum auction is going to last? Also, how long before the winners start using the new spectrum?

Thank you. 

Thanks for the question. The Canadian Government has already said that there will be no further comments while the auction is going on. But you can expect it to last until March based on what happened during the last spectrum auction. So, expect a press release from Industry Canada in mid to late March with the details on who won the auction and what they won.

In terms of how long it will take for companies to start using the 700 MHz spectrum. Expect a year to 18 months before services go live on that spectrum. The big hint that services are live on the 700 MHz spectrum is when the winners start to push phones that take advantage of that spectrum and you get encouraged to upgrade your phone.

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