It's estimated that within the next five years, more than half the information on the Internet will travel over a wireless connection at some point. Wireless services require spectrum, which is the invisible infrastructure that carries our wireless information. Spectrum has been called the oxygen of our mobile economy.
AWS-3 spectrum will enable better service on the latest smartphones, tablets and mobile devices, as well as support competition in the wireless industry. The proximity of this spectrum to the AWS-1 spectrum auctioned in 2008 will mean quicker network rollout and availability of consumer phones.
On March 3, 2015, the Government held a sealed-bid auction for this valuable publicly owned resource, allowing new competitors to access high-quality spectrum and create the conditions required for greater competition and better consumer outcomes.
To support more competition in the wireless marketplace, 60 percent of this spectrum was set aside for operating new entrants across the country. The remaining 40 percent was open to all qualified bidders.
A further opportunity for wireless companies to acquire spectrum will follow on April 14, 2015, when bidding begins in the 2500 MHz spectrum auction.
By summer 2015, following the 2500 MHz auction, the amount of spectrum available to provide mobile services to consumers will have grown by almost 60 percent since early 2014. This is the largest amount of spectrum ever released in such a short time in Canada, allowing Canadians and their families to benefit from the latest technologies and world-class services.
