Government pressured to open more WiFi spectrum

Industry Canada is being lobbied to open up more unlicensed spectrum for wireless Internet, as the United States did earlier this year. Government briefing notes and emails written in advance of a meeting planned for May 27 between Industry Minister James Moore and Cogeco Cable Inc., obtained through an access-to-information request, showed the department expected Cogeco officials, including CEO Louis Audet, would discuss WiFi spectrum regulations. An email between Industry Canada officials sent before the meeting said the department "is being lobbied to make the same technical rule changes” for WiFi spectrum that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made in March. A release from the FCC on March 31 said the band of 5150 to 5250 MHz, already allowed for unlicensed WiFi usage, would have its indoor-only provision lifted, and more power would be able to be used in transmitting WiFi signals over this bandwidth. FCC officials, speaking on background, said the amount of power allowed increased by 20 times to 1 watt. The change allows telecommunications service providers to provide more WiFi in public areas, allow larger areas to be covered and increase potential Internet speeds, FCC officials said. The Wi-Fi Alliance, which represents WiFi-involved companies around the world, praised the FCC's decision shortly after it was made. "The commission has taken action at a crucial time when both data demand and the number of WiFi connected devices are rapidly increasing, creating more flexible rules for traditional WiFi to operate in 5 GHz outdoors at adequate power levels," the association said in an April 2 news release. The Wi-Fi Alliance added that "operators and enterprises will soon be able to improve their WiFi services in thousands of public hotspots and WiFi networks across the United States." An email sent by Industry Canada staff ahead of the Cogeco meeting said: "We are currently reviewing these latest FCC rules and will determine the impact on Canadian and international licensees if we were to make the same changes," Asked for comment on this issue, the department said in an emailed statement to The Wire Report: "Industry Canada has been asked to examine recent FCC changes to regulations for WiFi spectrum usage, and whether they can be applied within Canada. We continue to review these regulatory changes, their technical and operational impacts, and their implications for Canada's obligations as a signatory to international spectrum agreements such as those of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)." Philippe Jetté, Cogeco Cable's chief technology officer, said in an emailed statement that his company wants the Industry Canada to harmonize its regulations on WiFi spectrum with the U.S. "Today’s rules that govern 5 GHz WiFi in Canada do not provide adequate access to fully enable this new technology," Jetté said. He added: "This additional spectrum would allow us to offer better service to our customer base, would provide consumers with faster uploads and downloads in WiFi hot spots, and would help reduce congestion in majors hubs and centres." Jetté did not say whether there was a relationship between the company’s position on WiFi spectrum and its aspirations to become a provider of wireless service as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Launching wireless service without its own towers or spectrum is something Cogeco has said is a possibility and was also acknowledged in Industry Canada documents as a subject likely to come up in the meeting between Cogeco and government officials. Speaking notes produced for Moore said that he should not comment on potential government action in relation to MVNOs since wholesale wireless services were already under review by the CRTC. Cogeco was among the companies that participated in the wholesale wireless hearing that began in September. Industry Canada said in its internal communications that the U.S. is "pushing" for two other bands in the 5000 MHz range to be opened up for WiFi use, one of which could interfere with the Canadian government's Radarsat satellites that facilitate a range of services including climate monitoring and mapping. FCC officials told The Wire Report that the two bands referred to by Canadian officials are in the ranges of 5350 to 5470 MHz and 5850 to 5925 MHz, the former of which would be where possible interference with Radarsat could take place. They said, like the changes for the 5150 to 5250 MHz band from March, opening these two bands for WiFi use would result in increased capacity and better performance of WiFi signals. They said U.S. officials are also concerned about how opening up these bands for WiFi usage would affect other services, and it will be studied carefully before any final decisions are made. Industry Canada noted in its internal communications that these two other bands will be discussed at the World Radio Communication Conference being held in Geneva in November next year. FCC officials said that whether the 5350 to 5470 MHz and 5850 to 5925 MHz bands get designated for WiFi use is likely to go undecided for up to a few years after that meeting. In its statement to The Wire Report, Industry Canada said: "The government will work vigorously with our international partners to ensure that Radarsat's services and operations remain uninterrupted.” — With reporting by Derek Abma at dabma@thewirereport.ca and editing by Peter Henderson at phenderson@thewirereport.ca

Government pressured to open more WiFi spectrum

News | November 5, 2014

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Government pressured to open more WiFi spectrum

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