Industry Canada plans makeover to 17-year-old microwave radio policy

Canada's non-profit and shared-use microwave radio facilities could soon become commercial operations if Industry Canada follows through with a proposal to revamp its 17-year-old microwave policy. The department is seeking comments on a proposed new policy more suited for existing users of microwave systems who operate in a more competitive market. The emergence of new competitors using advanced fibre optics and satellite-based systems have rendered the non-profit microwave sharing policy antiquated. The department is asking whether the owners of these microwave radio facilities, currently operated on a non-profit and shared-use basis, should be allowed to operate them on a commercial and for-profit basis. The department notes that its 1983 policy, Microwave Licensing Policy Respecting Carriage of Program Signals to Broadcasting Undertakings, "set out to, among other things, require shared-use of facilities and services for common needs; and to provide reasonable access to program signals and services on a non-profit basis." Fern Leger, director of spectrum and radio services at Industry Canada, explains that since the same signals were being provided to a number of cable operators, it made sense for the government to encourage sharing of microwave radio facilities. At the time, cablecos used very high capacity microwave (VHCM) systems to carry signals to several cable systems. Today's cablecos have since replaced many of those microwave systems with fibre optics. Leger says that the number of radio links in VHCM microwave systems has decreased significantly over the last decade. The department now plans to introduce a more modern microwave policy, and is asking for comments on the following issues: How appropriate is the 1983 microwave policy to the orderly delivery of programming signals and to advance broadcasting objectives and competition? Should operators of existing VHCM systems be required to continue to provide reasonable access to program signals on a non-profit basis to all broadcasting undertakings in an area? If operators of existing VHCM systems want to operate on a commercial basis, should be they be required to upgrade to digital transmission and vacate part of the spectrum for potential use by others?

Industry Canada plans makeover to 17-year-old microwave radio policy

News | 04/27/2000 4:00 am EDT

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