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Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced that more Canadians will have better access to higher-quality telecom services as a result of the 2026 auction of residual spectrum licences.
Residual spectrum auctions offer licences that were either unsold in previous auctions or returned by licensees. In this auction, 196 of the 207 available licences were awarded to three Canadian companies, representing nearly 99 per cent of the spectrum up for sale.
The licences include deployment requirements designed to ensure that service providers put the spectrum to use quickly and effectively, delivering improved services to Canadians on time.
The government said the auction will foster greater competition and innovation in the telecommunications sector while strengthening Canada’s digital infrastructure. It also reaffirmed its commitment to investing in essential services by reducing red tape, supporting the safe and efficient expansion of infrastructure, and making effective use of existing policies.
“Reliable telecommunications are essential to how Canadians live, work and connect with one another. Canadians in every region of the country deserve resilient, modern networks that keep them part of our economy and strengthen communities. Ensuring that spectrum doesn’t sit idle is one of many ways we work toward that. There’s always more to be done, and the Government of Canada will continue improving availability, reliability and affordability. Our government is driving forward to ensure Canada’s networks are accessible, dependable, and affordable for everyone.” – The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
The Government of Canada is urging companies to make more use of wireless spectrum through its latest residual spectrum auction. A total of 207 licences were made available across the 2 GHz, 2300 MHz, 3500 MHz, and 3800 MHz bands.
The auction generated $415,565,262 in revenue, which will be deposited into the Consolidated Revenue Fund administered by the Receiver General for Canada.
This initiative is part of the government’s ongoing effort to ensure that valuable spectrum resources are efficiently used to support innovation, connectivity, and the expansion of wireless services across the country.
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