Our Focus Today

The CRC is at the technological intersection of spectrum management, regulation and innovation in Canada—a prime position to address the spectrum shortage that would result if demand were to exceed supply.

To quantify the challenge, there is an emerging consensus among key stakeholders that society should be prepared for a 1000‑times increase in mobile data traffic over the next decade. While posing a challenge, this projected rise also presents great opportunity, since the economic benefits of mobile services are tremendous. In Canada, the total economic value generated by the wireless industry is estimated at $43 billion, and Canada's wireless sector employs more than 260,000 people^{Footnote 1}. What's more, the use of mobile technologies generates productivity gains, fuels innovation across other sectors of the economy, and cultivates the creation of new services. That's why at CRC, we welcome the 1000‑times challenge.

There are a number of means to add more throughput, including: releasing more spectrum, increasing network densification and achieving greater spectral efficiency. The CRC has wireless expertise to examine the deep technical issues related to these means and others. As a result, we contribute to various policy and regulatory initiatives in the spectrum management program in Industry Canada. In addition, we collaborate with industry, universities and other research labs to leverage wireless research.

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Ovum Europe Ltd. June 2012. The Benefit to the Canadian Economy from the Wireless Telecommunications Industries: An Economic Impact Assessment. A Report prepared for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. [Accessed 15 December 2012].

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