(OTTAWA) A new licensing policy will make it easier for small internet service providers and rural, remote and Indigenous communities to access 5G spectrum, the federal government said Wednesday.
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the local non-competitive licensing framework would offer a wide range of users, including businesses and industries, the opportunity to acquire spectrum licenses in restricted locations across the country.
This means that users will be able to experience improved connectivity in areas as small as a farm, factory, college campus or shopping mall.
According to Ottawa, a farm could use this spectrum for a private network to enhance automated activities such as crop monitoring or product traceability.
Last June, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) launched a consultation on the licensing framework with the aim of promoting competition and innovation in the run-up to a spectrum auction scheduled for 2024 .
ISED says it is working to implement the new framework for users by next year.