“The release of mmWave spectrum is an opportunity to support investment and improvement of services by service providers,” an excerpt derived from the published consultation document on the policy and licensing framework for spectrum in the 26, 28, and 38 GHz bands said.
Open for a 120-day comment period, this consultation follows a repurposing decision announced in 2019 and is the next major step in the lead-up to a mmWave spectrum auction planned for 2024.
Access to large blocks of mmWave spectrum is said to enable service providers to offer high-speed and high-capacity 5G services to consumers. Additionally, the mmWave spectrum presents a key opportunity to continue to facilitate competition at the regional and national levels, resulting in a mobile wireless market that has greater choice and competitively priced offerings for consumers.
Aside from the mobile and fixed wireless service providers, the mmWave band will allow next-generation satellite technologies such as LEO satellites to provide advanced services and broadband Internet throughout Canada, helping to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas.
Thus, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is of the view that sharing between satellite and commercial mobile services in the mmWave bands can be facilitated to make 5G and advanced satellite services more accessible to Canadians.
Moreover, the mmWave spectrum is applicable for various industry verticals that require high levels of bandwidth and network performance. Some use cases include private networks and manufacturing sites that use automated operations and robotics.
It is worth noting that Canada's C-band auction of the 3,500 MHz spectrum, which is key for next generation 5G networks, generated C$8.9 billion ($7.2 billion), with the country's three dominant telecom companies accounting for more than 80% of the amount raised.
