3G in Canada will depend on how U.S. industry, FCC respond to presidential order

Major players in the Canadian mobile wireless industry are beginning to worry that America’s assignment of 3G spectrum could complicate the roll out of next generation services in this country. Last month, U.S. president Bill Clinton directed the Federal Communications Commission and other federal agencies to make 3G a top priority, but until the FCC decides which frequencies will be used, spectrum harmonization with Canada is in limbo. "We’re a small market and so what happens in Europe and south of the border affects what we do in the end," Paul Frew, director of corporate and government relations at Motorola Canada told Report on Wireless. "We’re obviously anxious that things are harmonized around the world as much as possible," says Frew, "so we’re holding our breath on what happens south of the border right now ... From our perspective, the number one priority has to be that there’s this continued effort to maintain as much alignment as possible." Clinton’s Oct. 13 Executive Order directed the U.S. Commerce Department to identify available airwaves by Oct. 20, with an interim report to be developed in cooperation with the FCC by Nov. 15. The directive urges executive departments and agencies, as well as the FCC, to "cooperate with industry to identify spectrum that can be used by third generation wireless systems, whether by reallocation, sharing or evolution of existing systems." Clinton also stated that "the federal government must support industry efforts as far as practicable and based on market demand and national considerations, including security and international treaty obligations, to harmonize spectrum allocations regionally and internationally." Industry Canada has had a plan for opening up and licensing spectrum for 3G services for some time. But crowded use of needed airwaves in the U.S. has hindered the ability of wireless companies there to move forward. Several bands are being considered in the U.S., and Canadian players worry that some of those frequencies are different from what has been identified in this country. Canada’s preference is to have the 1700 MHz band allocated as 3G spectrum across North America, a position supported by the International Telecommunication Union. In the U.S., this band is being used by federal agencies, in particular the Defense Department. The FCC has already identified spectrum in the upper broadcast channels – the 700 MHz range – for additional PCS mobile spectrum that it will auction off next March. For next generation service, the commission is still reviewing both the 1700 MHz and the 2100 MHz bands, as well as 2500 MHz. The FCC doesn’t have a lot of time to come up with a solid plan either. The president wants a workable strategy on the table by next July with actual licensing to begin by September 2002. Andrew Kreig, president of the Wireless Communications Association International in Washington DC, says the U.S. government and the FCC aren’t going to make any rash decisions on identifying spectrum for 3G services. He maintains that harmonization with Canada, Mexico and other countries in the Western Hemisphere is a priority for the U.S. administration. Vino Vinodrai, Bell Mobility’s director of industry relations, says it’s critical that Industry Canada and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Assoication hammer out a position priot to negotiations with the U.S. on this issue. "So rather than be led by the U.S., let’s put forward a position," he says.

3G in Canada will depend on how U.S. industry, FCC respond to presidential order

News | November 13, 2000

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