I was looking through some old blog posts and got thinking about interesting dates.
The policy framework for the AWS auction was announced in late November, 2007, leading to an auction that started almost exactly 6 months later. The first licenses were issued in December 2008; it took a full year before the first service was launched by a new entrant using this spectrum (Wind Mobile, on December 16, 2009). From the announcement of the auction policy until service launch took more than 2 years.
There is an important lesson for those looking at timelines for the long delayed policy for the 700 MHz auction.
We will be lucky to see an auction start in calendar 2012 and, depending on the structure, it could take months for the auction to conclude. In the meantime, the clock has been continuing to run on the 5-year restriction on transfer of the AWS licenses to the big 3 carriers. We could start to see acquisitions of these new entrants as of December, 2013, for those licenses that were issued in December 2008.
There are lots of strategic options in play – another reason why The 2012 Canadian Telecom Summit will be looking at “Wireless Spectrum: Paying for Air – 700MHz, Whitespace and more” in a session on June 6. Early bird rates are available until the end of February.
Have you registered yet?
Yes, we seem to be in a state of paralysis as regards telecommunications policy and regulation in Canada. Digital strategy, spectrum strategy, foreign ownership, all are delayed with no obvious progress visible to outsiders.
The lack of a permanent chair of the CRTC makes new initiatives from the CRTC difficult. This is doubly regrettable, as traditionally, when one of CRTC or Industry Canada/Department of Communications had a void, the other would pick up the policy role. But now we have a double void. Nobody is leading.
On the other hand, in my more skeptical moments, I wonder if that is such a bad thing.
George Hariton