April 2021
Related documents
Canada Gazette, Part II, Regulations Amending the Radiocommunication Regulations: SOR/2021-40
March 2021
Map of Radiocommunication Areas
February 2021
Decision on the Licence Fee Framework for Fixed Point-to-Point Systems
July 2019
Consultation on Licence Fees for Fixed Point-to-Point Radio Systems
November 2018
Millimetre wave (26, 28 and 38 GHz bands)
Through this consultation, ISED is proposing to establish spectrum licence fees that would apply to flexible use licences issued through the 38 GHz transition process, and future licensing processes for flexible use or commercial mobile licences in the high-band frequency range of 10-95 GHz, such as auctioned licences that are renewed after their initial licence term
Earth Stations and Space Stations
Fixed point-to-point systems
The Radiocommunication Regulations have been amended to introduce the consumption-based fee model for fixed point-to-point systems and temporary licensing for all radio licences. These provisions came into force on April 1, 2021. The final version of the Radiocommunication Regulations are published in the Canada Gazette, Part II.
For more information on invoices for accounts subject to the new fees, visit our Spectrum Management System (SMS) website.
RIC-42, Guide for Calculating Radio Licence Fees, has been updated to include information on calculating point-to-point fees and on temporary licensing.
Map of Radiocommunication Areas
For the purpose of calculating link fees for fixed point-to-point systems, urban, rural and remote areas are defined in the Radiocommunication Regulations and published on the Map of Radiocommunication Areas on Canada’s Open Data Portal. The same map is shown on this web page for your convenience. From the Open Data Portal, under Resources, you will find related downloadable data files, for unofficial use in your mapping software.
Background
In November 2018, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) consulted on licence fees for fixed point-to-point systems and proposed a new fee model that would reflect ISED’s policy objectives. Feedback provided through the consultation expanded the model to include lower rates in rural and remote areas of Canada for fixed point-to-point systems, and to provide more flexible licensing terms for all radio licences. The proposed fee model was published in July 2019. On December 26, 2020, ISED announced a 30-day consultation period in the Canada Gazette, Part I, Regulations Amending the Radiocommunication Regulations, in support of the consumption-based fee model for fixed point-to-point systems and temporary licensing for all radio licences.
In January 2021, ISED provided licensees of fixed point-to-point systems access to the Point-to-point Fee Change Preview Report through the Spectrum Management System (SMS) website. The preview report was designed to permit licensees to compare the annual fees that they were paying in 2020-2021 with those that they were projected to pay under the proposed new fee model. As of April 1, 2021, the new point-to-point fee model has been applied in our licensing and financial system and the preview report only shows current fees.