The next Canadian wireless spectrum auction is scheduled to take place in 2012. It will focus on the 700MHz band that will have been freed up as Canadian television broadcasters migrate from analog to digital by August 2011. The incumbent carriers have already provided comments on how the auction should be conducted. Not surprisingly, the new players don’t see things quite the same way.
Mobilicity today issued a press release in support of the government setting aside spectrum for new entrants. Canada’s big three carriers have opposed the move, prompting this response from Mobilicity Chairman John Bitove: “For years, Canada’s Big Three ‘tri-opoly’ have been acting like squirrels preparing for a 50-year winter. They hoard spectrum to keep others from giving consumers an affordable choice and Canadians have been paying the price for their self-serving interests for far too long.”
Bitove goes on to suggest that the government should impose a spectrum cap. He also calls for rules to allow a pure wireless carrier to compete more equally against the “lofty telco – cableco family pacts.”
The 700MHz spectrum will likely be much sought after given its abilities to penetrate thick walls and wider coverage per cell tower.
Based on the comments so far, the upcoming auction will be a spirited affair.