Canada to launch 3500MHz 5G spectrum auction

According to foreign media reports, Canada will launch the 3500MHz 5G spectrum auction, which has been postponed for more than a year due to the impact of the epidemic.

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The auction rules have not changed, and a total of 1,506 licenses will be available for bid. Smaller operators are competing in the auction, complaining that recent regulatory rulings favor the country's three largest telecom companies - BCE, Telus and Rogers Communications, which together control about 90% of the market. At the same time, Canadian mobile and internet consumers have complained for years that their bills are the most expensive in the world.

The last auction of 600 MHz spectrum raised C$3.5 billion ($2.87 billion). This round will see 23 bids from companies including Cogeco and Videotron. Lawmakers and analysts warn that market concentration will increase if takeovers go ahead.

It is understood there is no scheduled end date for the auction, although the department in charge of the spectrum auction has said it will announce the winner within five days of the completion of bids.