As highlighted in letters dated 28 November 2022 and 31 January 2023, the CRTC in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) launched recruitment of participating wireless internet service providers (WISPs) for the third phase of the Measuring Broadband Canada (MBC) project in winter 2023. This phase is focused specifically on the performance of fixed wireless Internet services with download speeds of 50Mbps or faster as well as 10Mbps upload speeds (50+/10+) provided to Canadian homes.

In order to have a representative sample of fixed wireless subscribers in Canada, CRTC and ISED reached out to WISPs to participate. This participation consists of contacting their subscribers of fixed wireless services offering 50+/10+ speeds and providing them with the subscriber engagement material, so as to find volunteers willing to participate in the study. Information sessions were offered to provide WISPs with more information about the study and its methodology.

The MBC relies on WISPs’ involvement to ensure their subscribers are aware of the opportunity to participate in the study. To date, WISPs’ involvement has been voluntary... Continued in link

CanWISP Submission (July 2023)

March 2023 - Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-89

Since Telecom Regulatory Policy 2018-377 (the Broadband Fund policy) was established, there has been a substantial change in the funding environment with significant new funding available from all levels of government. There is also a growing focus on reconciliation between the Canadian government and Indigenous Peoples and on the role the Commission must play in advancing reconciliation.

To reflect this new environment, the Commission is launching a notice of consultation to look ahead to the future need for funding to improve broadband Internet services and mobile wireless services in Canada. In this review of the Broadband Fund policy, the Commission will consider

• modifying the overall objectives of the Broadband Fund;
• implementing an Indigenous-specific funding stream;
• providing operational funding, either alongside capital funding for projects or as separate operational funding available to providers in rural and remote areas;
• increasing focus on mobile road coverage and satellite-dependent communities; and
• improving the process used to evaluate and select projects to fund.

November 2022 - Consultation on the Spectrum Outlook 2022 to 2026 (SPB-005-22)

Through this draft version of Spectrum Outlook 2022 to 2026 (the 2022 Outlook), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) seeks input from stakeholders to inform its management of Canada’s radio spectrum over the next five years.

Since the publication of Spectrum Outlook 2018 to 2022 (the 2018 Outlook), ISED has achieved a number of significant spectrum policy milestones that have increased the availability of spectrum to Canadians. These milestones include auctions for key spectrum bands for 5G services: the 600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. The frameworks for these auctions included the strongest deployment requirements to date. Over the licence term, these new frameworks will help to ensure that licensees pursue a “use it or lose it” approach to their spectrum holdings and undertake the investments needed to connect Canadians. ISED also increased availability by releasing additional spectrum for licence-exempt use; for example, the release of the 6 GHz band tripled the amount of spectrum available for Wi-Fi.

CanWISP Submission  (December 2022)

August 2022 - Consultation on a Non-Competitive Local Licensing Framework, Including Spectrum in the 3900-3980 MHz Band and Portions of the 26, 28 and 38 GHz Bands (SPB-003-22)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is initiating a consultation on a non-competitive local (NCL) licensing framework, with the intent to apply that framework to release spectrum in the 3900-3980 MHz band (referred to as the 3900 MHz band) and portions of the 26, 28 GHz and 38 GHz bands (millimetre wave bands, or mmWave bands). The specific portions of the mmWave bands to be included will be subject to the decision resulting from SPB-001-22, Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 26, 28 and 38 GHz Bands.

All Submissions (October 2022) including CanWISP Comments

Reply Comments (November 2022) including CanWISP Comments

ISED Decision (May 2023)

June 2022 - Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 26, 28 and 38 GHz Bands - Spectrum management and telecommunications (SPB-001-22)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is initiating a consultation on a policy and licensing framework for the auction of millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum licences in the bands 26.5-27.5 GHz (referred to as the 26 GHz band), 27.5-28.35 GHz (referred to as the 28 GHz band), and 37.6-40.0 GHz (referred to as the 38 GHz band) (collectively referred to as the mmWave bands) as announced in Canada Gazette notice SPB-001-22.

All Submissions (September 2022) including CanWISP Comments

December 2021 - Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 3800 MHz Band (SLPB-006-21)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is initiating a consultation on a policy and licensing framework for the auction of spectrum licences in the band 3650-3900 MHz (herein after referred to as the 3800 MHz band) as announced in Canada Gazette notice SLPB-006-21.   ISED is seeking comments on the policy and licensing considerations including auction format, rules and processes, as well as on conditions of licence for spectrum in the 3800 MHz band. Some of the proposals below would also affect the conditions of licence for flexible use licences in the flexible use operations in the 3500 MHz band (3450-3650 MHz). Furthermore, ISED is seeking comments on measures to support connectivity in rural and remote areas.

All Submissions (February 2022) including CanWISP Comments

October 2021 - ISED: Consultation on New Access Licensing Framework, Changes to Subordinate Licensing and White Space to Support Rural and Remote Deployment (SLPB-004-21) 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), is initiating a consultation to support innovation and the availability of rural services through the proposed introduction of a new supplementary licensing process (Access Licensing framework) for unused spectrum. This also includes consultation to support clarifications to ISED's framework to streamline subordinate licensing approvals and encourage greater use of these licences to increase use of spectrum, improvements to white space rules, as well as changes to the rural remote broadband system (RRBS) policy framework.

All Submissions (October 2021)

CanWISP Comments

Submission

Reply Comments (January 2022)

January 2021 - ISED: Consultation on the Technical and Policy Framework for Licence-Exempt Use in the 6 GHz Band (SMSE-014-20)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is hereby initiating a consultation on the technical and policy framework for licence-exempt use of the 5925-7125 MHz frequency band (referred to as the 6 GHz band).

All Submissions (January 2021)

CanWISP Comments

Submission

Reply Comments (coming late February 2021)

CanWISP Reply

August 2020 - ISED: Consultation on the Technical and Policy Framework for the 3650-4200 MHz Band and Changes to the Frequency Allocation of the 3500-3650 MHz Band (SLPB-002-20)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is initiating a consultation on the technical and policy framework for the 3650-4200 MHz band (referred to as the 3800 MHz band) to accommodate flexible use for fixed and mobile services. Proposed changes to the 3500-3650 MHz frequency allocation related to the status of fixed satellite service in the Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations (CTFA) are also included in this consultation. This document also announces moratoria on certain licensing processes.

All Submissions (October 2020)

CanWISP Comments

Submission

Reply Comments (Nov 2020)

CanWISP Reply

Reply

June 2019 - ISED: Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 3500 MHz Band (SLPB-002-19)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), on behalf of the Minister, is hereby initiating a consultation on a policy and licensing framework for the auction of spectrum licences in the band 3450-3650 MHz (referred to as the 3500 MHz band).

All Submissions (August 2019)

CanWISP Comments

Submission

February 2019 - CRTC: Review of Mobile Wireless Services  (TNC 2019-57)

The Commission is hereby initiating a proceeding to review mobile wireless services in Canada. This proceeding will focus on three key areas:

• Competition in the retail market
• The current wholesale mobile wireless service regulatory framework, with a focus on wholesale MVNO access
• The future of mobile wireless services in Canada, with a focus on reducing barriers to infrastructure deployment

NOTE: CanWISP participated in this consultation and was one of over 500 Interventions submitted.  I couldn’t find a direct link to specific submissions, but you can search them all here.  We would suggest you look at our submission (Canwisp) as well as submissions by The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) and the British Columbia Broadband Association (BCBA) each of which we endorsed in principle.

November 2018 - ISED: Consultation on a New Set of Service Areas for Spectrum Licensing (DGSO-002-18)

ISED stated: the intent of this notice is to announce a public consultation through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) document entitled DGSO-002-18, Consultation on a New Set of Service Areas for Spectrum Licensing. Through the release of this document, ISED is initiating a consultation on a new set of smaller service areas for spectrum licensing (Tier 5) with a view of encouraging additional access to spectrum within rural areas, and supporting new technologies and emerging use cases.

ISED seeks comments on its service area proposals and invites respondents to submit alternative proposals for smaller service areas, along with supporting rationale.

Complete document

NOTE: For this consultation CanWISP decided to work in a consortium including: British Columbia Broadband Association (BCBA), the Canadian Association of Wireless ISPs (Canwisp), the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA), the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA), Cogeco Communications Inc. (Cogeco), ECOTEL Inc. (ECOTEL), Sogetel Mobilité inc. (Sogetel) and SSi Micro Ltd. (SSi)

All Comments (February 2019)

CanWISP Comments

Submission

Google Earth and Map

Supporting Documents

Reply Comments (April 2019)

CanWISP Comments

Submission

November 2018 - ISED: Consultation on License Fees for Point-to-Point Radio Systems (DGSO-001-18)

The intent of this notice is to announce a public consultation through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) document entitled DGSO-001-18, Consultation on Licence Fees for Fixed Point-to-Point Radio Systems. Through the release of this document, ISED is initiating a consultation on modernizing the radio licence fee model for fixed point-to-point systems and their associated fees. These systems support data traffic carried by current and future 5G networks which will demand even more capacity. ISED seeks comments on modernizing the fee model with a view to increasing spectrum efficiencies, utilization and flexibility.

All Comments (January 2019)

CanWISP Comments

• Submission

June 2018 - ISED: Consultation on Revisions to the 3500 MHz Band to Accommodate Flexible Use and Preliminary Consultation on Changes to the 3800 MHz Band

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), on behalf of the Minister, is initiating a consultation on revisions to the 3450–3650 MHz band (referred to as the 3500 MHz band) to accommodate flexible use for fixed and mobile services. The consultation also seeks preliminary comments on the potential changes to the 3400–3450 MHz band and the 3650–4200 MHz band (referred to as the 3800 MHz band).

All Comments (July 2018)

CanWISP Comments

• Submission

All Reply Comments (August 2018)

• CanWISP Reply Comments

October 2017 - ISED: Consultation on the Spectrum Outlook 2018 to 2022

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (hereinafter referred to as ISED) recognizes that rapid growth of innovative technologies and services are driving the digitization and automation of every sector of the economy. In support of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, and with a focus on ensuring that Canadians can benefit from world-class networks and advancements in new digital technologies and services, ISED acknowledges that as the demand for digital connectivity grows, so will the demand for spectrum. Through the release of this document, ISED, on behalf of the Minister, is hereby initiating a consultation on the overall approach and planning activities related to the release of spectrum for commercial mobile services, licence-exempt applications, satellite services and wireless backhaul services over the years 2018 to 2022. In an effort to ensure that Canada is well prepared to meet the spectrum needs associated with these uses, comments are being sought on future technology advancements and associated spectrum demand, as well as on the proposed release of specific spectrum bands, and timing thereof, to meet these future needs.

All Comments (February 2018)

CanWISP Comments

• Submission
• White Paper

• CanWISP Reply Comments 

April 2017 - CRTC: Development of the Commission’s broadband funding regime (TNC 2017-112)

In Telecom Regulatory Policy 2016-496, the Commission established the following universal service objective: Canadians, in urban areas as well as in rural and remote areas, have access to voice services and broadband Internet access services on both fixed networks and mobile wireless networks (referred to hereafter as “the objective”). The Commission further determined that it would establish a new funding mechanism to help (i) ensure access to the basic telecommunications services that form part of the objective, and (ii) close the gaps in connectivity.

The Commission hereby initiates a proceeding to examine matters related to the establishment of the broadband funding regime, including its governance, operating, and accountability frameworks, as well as eligibility and assessment criteria for proposed projects.

• Intervention

August 2017 - ISED: Consultation on a Technical, Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 600 MHz Band

Through the release of this paper, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), on behalf of the Minister, is hereby initiating a consultation on a licensing framework for the auction of spectrum licences in the band 614-698 MHz (also known as the 600 MHz band) as announced in Canada Gazette notice SLPB-005-17.