It’s the first residual auction in four years
OTTAWA – Canada’s largest telecoms have applied to be in a sealed-bid auction held by Innovation Canada for left-over spectrum licenses.
Innovation Canada posted on its website Friday the applicants for the residual spectrum in the 600 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands, mid-band spectrum that was auctioned in the summer of last year and is used for 5G services. The slices of spectrum went unsold in previous auctions or were returned to the department.
The auction will be in a sealed bid format, meaning telecoms will submit their bids for the spectrum by the January 17, 2023 deadline and ISED will open the bids all at once, with the highest bids winning.
Applicants so far include Bell, Rogers, Telus, Videotron, Bragg, Cogeco, Ecotel, TBayTel, and Sogetel.
The last time there was a residual spectrum auction was in 2018 for the 700 MHz, 2500 MHz, 2300 MHz, and PCS-G bands.
