Citing “a person familiar with the plans,” Bloomberg is reporting that the Canadian government will outline sometime in February the rules for the next spectrum auction (covering spectrum in the 700 and 2,500MHz bands). The details could be made available as early as February 13th. The auction is expected to take place later this year but delays in announcing the rules may push it out to 2013.
In preparation for the auction, the government has received input from carriers. Some such as Mobilicity and WIND Mobile have been pushing for spectrum to be set aside for new entrants while others have been pushing for a more open process. The government is also considering imposing bidding limits such as capping the amount of spectrum a company could buy.
Bidding on the 700MHz band should be particularly heated as it provides better reception inside buildings and wider coverage in rural areas.
The government has also promised to review foreign ownership rules but a timeline remains elusive.
Read more: Bloomberg