Extension of Implementation of Spectrum Usage Deadline for 2300 MHz Licences

Dear Licensee:

Industry Canada has received several requests from licensees of spectrum in the 2300 MHz band seeking an extension to the deadline for the Implementation of Spectrum Usage licence condition, as well as clarification of the level of deployment that will be required. After a careful review of the requests, the department has decided to extend the deadline to the end of each licence’s 10-year term given the lack of available equipment, which has contributed to low deployment, and the review of the technical rules currently under way in the United States, which will affect the Canadian market. We note that similar extensions have been granted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

This decision is consistent with other long-term licences with general deployment requirements, which are typically assessed at the end of 10 years. This rationale is consistent with the department’s 2009 extension decision.

In order to increase business certainty for licensees, the department is also clarifying the level of deployment that will be required. Specific deployment level requirements for each Tier 4 licence area are attached, and will be used in the assessment of the deployment condition of licence at the end of the licence term. The revised licence condition will be applied to your existing 2300 MHz spectrum licences in the coming weeks. At that time, you will be able to print your licences with updated conditions of licence from the Spectrum Direct section of Industry Canada’s website (http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sd-sd.nsf/eng/home).

In the coming months, a formal consultation will address the renewal process for licences in this band. The consultation will discuss issues surrounding international developments with respect to this frequency band and possible options for the end of the licence term.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact Justine Sider by telephone at 613-990-4694 or by email at Justine.Sider@canada.ca.

Sincerely,

Original signed on March 29, 2012

Fiona Gilfillan
Director General
Spectrum Management Operations Branch

Attachment

Recipients:

Jennifer M. McCarthy, 4253311 Canada Inc. (c/o Nextwave Wireless)

Dawn Hunt, Rogers Wireless Partnership

Wally Romansky, Chatham Internet Access

Don Falle, Inukshuk Wireless Partnership

Tracy Cant, O.N. Tel Inc.

Ron Mason, Pathfinder Property Corporation o/a SmokeSignal

Ed Prior, Telus Communications Company

Eleanour Lou, YourLink Inc.

Ahmad Abdalla, Monophone Inc.

Patrick Iriah, BroadPoint International Telecom Inc.