Industry Canada extends licensing fee comment period
Industry Canada has extended the comment period for the current consultation on a proposal to harmonize the spectrum licensing regime and fee structure. The new deadline for comments is March 14. Last December, the department released DGRB-004-02, which seeks to set up a common licensing regime and fee structure for the country's mobile wireless operators (RoW Update, Jan. 13/03). The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association plans to use the venue to bolster its message that the industry pays too much into federal coffers for use of the public resource. According to CWTA figures, the wireless industry pays approximately $10 per subscriber in spectrum licence fees compared to the U.S. level of about $0.40 per subscriber (RoW, Jan. 20/03). The department has previously indicated that it doesn't envision lowering the total amount of fees paid by the wireless operators. However, those that more efficiently use spectrum will be rewarded as they will pay the same as those with less capacity (RoW, April 17/01).

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