REGINA – The much-anticipated results of Ottawa’s wireless auction were released on Wednesday, and SaskTel was able to acquire one block of the spectrum for $7.5 million.
But don’t expect your rural service to improve – SaskTel officials say the outcome of the auction will not allow them to expand their 4G coverage in remote areas.
The block they purchased was in the C-1 band, which doesn’t reach any rural customers.
The good news is that it appears there may be a fourth national carrier, as the federal government had hoped.
Quebec-based Videotron won spectrum in every region in the country, and is making a move into BC and Alberta, which analysts say will improve competition.
The auction, as a whole, brought in much more money than expected — a record $5.27 billion.
Bell, Rogers and Telus bought up the majority of licenses available, cementing their dominance in the cell phone industry.
The 700 megahertz spectrum auctioned off is considered particularly valuable because it can travel through buildings and tunnels where calls are often dropped.
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