Canadian Spectrum Policy Research (CSPR) is a project examining the policy and management of radio spectrum in Canada and around the world. The politics surrounding spectrum is of increasing significance for Canadians. As demand for wireless access increases with popular technologies such as tablets and smartphones, the ability to access the publicly-owned resource of the radio spectrum has become increasingly contentious. This website is designed to serve as an information centre for citizens, researchers, and academics with an interest in the politics, economics, and science of spectrum policy and wireless communications.

The role of auctions in the allocation of Canada’s radio frequencies, and critical analysis of Canada’s 700MHz spectrum auction was the primary research focus during the initial phase of the CSPR. While continuing to monitor developments in domestic Canadian spectrum policy (including in the AWS3 and 600 MHz bands), the project is moving into its next phase that will entail a growing emphasis on Canada in the international arena, including governance institutions such as the International Telecommunication Union’s  World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). CSPR also explores forward-thinking and innovative spectrum policy including shared spectrum access, and TV white spaces.

Canadian Spectrum Summit 2017 May 11-12 University of Calgary

Spectrum Summit Video available here

Recent Publication

Taylor, Gregory, Catherine Middleton, and Xavier Fernando. “A Question of Scarcity: Spectrum and Canada’s Urban Core.” Journal of Information Policy 7 (2017): 120 – 63.