
Canada to hold key 5G spectrum auction in 2020, says Innovation Minister Bains
TORONTO — Canada’s government will auction key wireless spectrum for fifth-generation mobile networks in 2020, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said Wednesday.
“We believe this puts us in a relatively strong position relative to our international peers,” Bains said prior to his speech at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto.
“We will still be ahead of Australia and Germany and will be (among) the top five countries when it comes to making spectrum available for 5G.”
Industry players — particularly Telus — have called for the auction of 3,500 megahertz spectrum in 2019 to keep up with other countries as smartphone makers bring out devices capable of using 5G networks.