Gazette Notice No. DGTP-006-04

Industry Canada

Radiocommunication Act

Notice No. DGTP-006-04 - Spectrum and Licensing Policy to Permit Ancillary Terrestrial Mobile Services as Part of Mobile-Satellite Service Offerings [RP-023]

The purpose of this Notice is to announce spectrum and licensing policy principles, under the above title, which will permit the development of ancillary terrestrial components (ATC) to provide a terrestrial mobile service as an integral part of the mobile-satellite service (MSS) offerings.

Industry Canada received from Mobile Satellite Ventures (Canada) Inc. (MSV Canada) an application for the approval of a second generation mobile satellite system in the L-band spectrum. In response to this application, the Department released a consultation paper on October 19, 2001, entitled Consultation on an Application to Use Mobile Satellite Spectrum to Provide Complementary Terrestrial Mobile Service to Improve Satellite Coverage (DGTP-009-01). The Department received a number of submissions from satellite and terrestrial wireless interests.

While the Department sought comments on the spectrum, licensing and technical issues surrounding the MSV Canada application, the Department recognized that the scope of the request would have to be extended to other MSS bands in the 1 to 3 GHz range. The Department also recognized that any decision to provide flexibility for ATC mobile service implementation would require the establishment of general policy principles to oversee similar ATC interest on other mobile-satellite networks.

The Department has concluded that permitting terrestrial mobile services as a component of MSS offerings, under a set of policy and operating principles, will serve the public interest and foster Canada's telecommunications policy objectives. In particular, these new mobile-satellite networks could promote advanced communication services at affordable prices to rural and remote areas.

Obtaining Copies: 

Copies of this notice and documents referred to are available electronically on Industry Canada's Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Web site at: http://strategis.gc.ca/spectrum.

Official printed copies of gazette notices can be obtained from the Canada Gazette Web site at:

http://canadagazette.gc.ca/index-e.html or by calling the sales counter of Canadian Government Publishing at (819) 941-5995 or 1 800 635-7943.

May 13, 2004

____________________________
Larry Shaw

Director General
Telecommunications Policy Branch