Rogers Wants 700MHz band spectrum

[jon]

FAIR AND OPEN AUCTION FOR 700 MHz SPECTRUM CRITICAL TO DELIVER NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS NETWORK FOR CANADIANS
Canada NewsWire

TORONTO, May 31, 2011 /CNW/ - Rogers Communications today pressed for a fair and open auction of 700 MHz band spectrum. The remarks were made by Rob Bruce, President, Communications for Rogers, at the 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto.

"Those who have suggested that companies like Rogers shouldn't have fair and equal access to this spectrum are misguided," Bruce said. "Restrictions on the 700 MHz band auction would be unfair to our nine million wireless customers who have every right to access a truly national, robust LTE network in both urban and rural markets."

Bruce said that an equal and fair auction - that includes established players and newcomers under the same rules - is critical to Rogers' deployment of its next generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. 700 MHz spectrum delivers better in-building penetration and, importantly for Canadians who live in a country with low population density, better coverage in rural and remote areas.

Three Principles for the Canadian Digital Strategy
Bruce called on the new Conservative Government and new Minister of Industry, Christian Paradis, to adopt three key principles as a framework for Canada's digital strategy:

1. Adopt a regulatory regime that rewards and incents those that have invested, and are investing, to make our nation stronger in both urban and rural markets;

2. Make more spectrum available, more quickly; and

3. Create a level playing field for all participants, by adopting public policy that applies equally to all participants regardless of size.

"If you look to other sectors with limited or precious resources, our government has a long track record of creating a level playing field for these sectors," Bruce said. "Why would it take a different approach to the valuable and limited 700 MHz spectrum auction?"

"We urgently need regulation that doesn't prop up one company, or one industry, at the expense of another," Bruce said. "As Parliament resumes, I urge the new majority government to work with our industry to drive our digital economy," Bruce said. "Our country's future prosperity depends on it."

Rogers: a company of firsts
Since 1960, when Ted Rogers bought a struggling FM radio station CHFI, the Company has been first in many areas: the first commercial high-speed cable internet service in North America; the first to launch BlackBerry service worldwide; the first to launch iPhone and Android in Canada; the first in North America and one of the world's first to launch an HSPA network in 2008; and the first to commit to the recently-announced Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, delivering faster speeds, lower latency and greater usage capacity.

Bruce also emphasized the need to put Canadians in control of their digital destiny, saying, "We have a responsibility to customers, to families, and to communities to get this right."