Clement: Targeting to auction 700MHz spectrum “by late 2012”

Industry Minister Tony Clement was speaking at the International Institute of Communications conference in Ottawa today and announced that he will be launch consultations about the 700-megahertz and 2500-MHz spectrum should be sold. Clement stated that “Shortly, I will be launching consultations on the 700- megahertz spectrum, with a view to auctioning this spectrum by late 2012… Another round of consultations on the 2500-MHz spectrum will begin in early 2011…We will consider foreign investment rules and decisions around the 700 MHz auction together. How spectrum is allocated and who is eligible to compete for it — and pay for it — are interrelated issues.”

In Canada we have over 23 million wireless subscriber and 95% of the market share s from the Big 3 carriers (Rogers, Bell and TELUS). You might remember the Spectrum Auction in 2008 – this generated well over $4 billion and brought on new entrants Wind Mobile, Mobilicity and Public Mobile.

Source: Bloomberg