OTTAWA – Wind Mobile’s hopes of securing spectrum in the 2500 MHz band to add to its meager holdings have been dashed, while Telus Corp. was able to secure 40 MHz of the valuable bandwidth in all regions of the country, according to results of the Industry Canada spectrum auction released on Tuesday.
The auction, which had officially ended on May 5, netted federal government coffers more than $755 million. There were 11 companies to begin the auction with nine of them winning licences. Of the 318 licences available, 302 of them were sold. In addition to Wind, SSi Micro Ltd. was also left out in the cold. Results for the auction are HERE.
But it was Telus that was the hands-down big winner, spending nearly $480 million to acquire 122 licences across the entire country. There was a 40 MHz cap in the auction and the company bid right to that limit.
The vast majority of its licences were in the D- and E-bands. The four Atlantic Canadian provinces, most of its Ontario licences, Alberta and British Columbia were in these two bands. Quebec, parts of southern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the three northern territories saw Telus buy in the F- and G-bands.
Speculation regarding Vidéotron’s national expansion will continue after the 2500 MHz spectrum auction. The company bought 20 MHz licences in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver as well as adding more spectrum in Ottawa and buying the Pembroke licence. This is in addition to expanding bandwidth holdings in la belle province.
In its home territory, the Quebec-based media and communications firm purchased 40 MHz of spectrum in the lesser populated areas which was complemented by 20 MHz in the Montreal and Quebec City regions.
It can also be safely assumed that the company had to fight hard to get licences in regions it deemed critical to its business, spending nearly $187 million for 18 licences. It’s not yet clear what those are, but based on the price tag for the small number of licences, it can be reasonably assumed that Videotron put up a fight for certain licences.
Broadband satellite and wireless communications company Xplornet Communications was also able to secure a significant amount of spectrum. It paid about $25.4 million for 42 licences with a population coverage of slightly more than 11 million Canadians.
Sticking largely to the 25 MHz I-band, the firm was able to acquire licences covering most of Canada. The exceptions were for the Winnipeg and Brandon licences where Xplornet settled on the 25 MHz H-band.
Both Bell and Rogers also secured licences covering about 11 million Canadians, spending $28.9 and $24 million respectively. With 20 MHz of 2500 MHz spectrum in nearly every region of Canada, the two companies bolstered their assets in the lesser populated regions.
Bell, for its part, focused largely on the 20 MHz F-band gaining spectrum in Atlantic Canada, Eastern and Southern Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. It purchased 20 MHz E-band licences in Quebec. The media and communications giant did, however, purchase 60 MHz of spectrum in all three of Canada’s northern territories.
Rogers employed a similar strategy, acquiring licences in nearly all the same regions as Bell in the C-band. The exceptions were in Manitoba and Saskatchewan where the company purchased E-band licences.
To round out the auction, Alberta-based rural internet provider Corridor Communications (CCI) won 13 licences for $2.3 million. It concentrated its efforts largely in the lesser populated areas of Eastern and Southern parts of Ontario as well being able to secure three licences in Alberta. All of its licences were 20 MHz.
TBayTel and MTS each secured two licences for $1.7 million and $2.2 million, respectively.
More to come.
