Industry Canada to probe industry on spectrum management reform

Canada’s spectrum regulator will soon query wireless industry stakeholders on potential reforms to the country’s spectrum management program, an official with Industry Canada revealed at a conference last month. The department is currently developing a broad discussion paper that will address a number of key issues with the ultimate goal of improving the department’s spectrum regime. It will also work with industry stakeholders on more in-depth discussions that could help in spectrum management reforms. Issues for Canada• Severe congestion of land mobile spectrum below 1 GHz• Finding common spectrum for public safety• Improving secondary market trading• Increasing flexibility to allocations and spectrum licences• Release new unlicensed spectrum• Common NA spectrum resources• Public discussion on UWB technology Fern Léger, the department’s director of spectrum and radio services, provided a sneak peek at the pending review during a presentation at the Wireless Industry Congress 2003 conference in Ottawa on September 22. He explained during the sparsely attended session, titled Spectrum Planning and Regulatory Issues for New Wireless Services and Technologies, that the government will look at ways to stimulate the secondary market for spectrum trading, rules surrounding the use of software-defined radio (SDR), common North American spectrum resources and other areas of potential reforms (see box for possible reform initiatives). Léger told Report on Wireless in an interview following the conference that one of the larger issues to be addressed is a lack of spectrum below 1 GHz. "Where we have a great challenge is the spectrum below the 1 GHz for land mobile and public safety where it’s going to be very slow in getting spectrum from channels 60-69 because we don’t have mandatory (implementation of DTV), and our allotment plan is more full than the U.S. because we were second to plan the spectrum," he explained. Software-defined radio represents one potential solution to spectrum scarcity, Léger admitted. "If somebody is going to develop some software-defined radio (product), we can talk in general that it’s going to be the solution of the future - how to manage the spectrum. What I’m saying is that it should be deployed where the pressure points are," he said. However, the implementation of SDR-based systems isn’t yet on the radar screen due to initial price prohibitiveness, Léger added. This isn’t the first time the department has tried to engage the industry in discussing potential spectrum management reform. In the 2002 consultation on an updated version of the department’s Spectrum Policy Framework (DGTP-004-02), Industry Canada sought comment on three broad spectrum management issues, but didn’t get the response it was looking for. "When we issued the update in 2002, we asked three broad questions. Which area of core objectives should we change and what area of principles in spectrum management should we change? We didn’t get too much (comment on the questions). We got some on the issues of the day, like ‘fees are too high, you’re slow in issuing licences after an auction,’" Léger said. "In developing scenarios and issues and potential opportunities, I think in a discussion paper we can engage the industry in providing comments and discussions." Canada is also planning to address emerging ultrawide band (UWB) technology and its potential use in consumer products. UWB has been tagged as the building block for several types of products including various radar products, medical devices, sensors and communications products. Léger noted that there is some concern associated with potential interference from UWB-based devices. Léger told RoW, however, that the department will look at all aspects of the possible implementation of UWB and the pending consultation document will examine uses in all of the various product areas.

Industry Canada to probe industry on spectrum management reform

News | October 7, 2003

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Industry Canada to probe industry on spectrum management reform

News | October 7, 2003

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