VANCOUVER — The federal government has announced new details about its plans to auction off wireless spectrum as it attempts to entice new mobile carriers to enter the market and bring down prices for cellular phone users.
Industry Canada plans to auction off AWS-3 spectrum in March, and the government has previously announced that more than half the spectrum will be set aside for smaller companies.
Industry Minister James Moore says by the middle of next year, the amount of wireless spectrum available to consumers will have increased by about 60 per cent since early 2014.
In addition, the government will hold consultations about allowing mobile use on a new band, 600 Mhz, and it will also explore the possibility of mobile services on the 3,500 Mhz spectrum, currently used by fixed-wireless Internet services in rural areas.
Industry Canada has said it will raise $162.45 million from the auction if the government receives just the minimum bid for each parcel of AWS-3 wireless spectrum.
The government has been attempting to use its wireless auctions to foster competition, but new entrants have struggled and the Big Three national carriers collectively represent 90 per cent of Canada's wireless customer base.
