Supporting ISED Canada’s Successful 5G Wireless Spectrum Auction
Background
On November 23, 2023, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) Canada concluded its auction of spectrum licenses in the 3800 MHz band, which is an important band for 5G wireless service. The auction used a clock auction format with intra-round bidding to allocate thousands of spectrum licenses. The design followed a two-stage process in which generic licenses were allocated in the first stage, and then specific frequencies were assigned in a subsequent assignment stage.
Our Role
The Secretariat team of Allan Ingraham, Shreyas Ravi, and William Schwartz supported the Canadian government as independent verifiers of the 3800 MHz auction. In this role, the Secretariat team independently verified the software that ISED used to conduct the 3800 MHz auction. We then verified the accuracy of the results from the assignment stage of the auction.
Outcomes
The 3800 MHz auction lasted 21 bidding days. It began on October 24, 2023, and it successfully concluded on November 24, 2023. The auction raised $2.158 billion Canadian for the allocation of 4,099 licenses via competitive bidding.
The auction licensing framework and the provisional results are both available on ISED’s website: auction licensing framework, provisional results.
Latest Insights
News | September 8, 2025
Navigating New Rules of the Road: How Companies Can Adapt to Revised DOJ Guidance on Criminal Prosecutions
Since the election in November 2024, there have been many changes to DOJ’s enforcement policies. Earlier this year, now-Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, announced at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), that going forward prosecutors and investigators would primarily focus on “the most egregious white-collar crime” to better “incentivize [companies] to come forward, come clean, reform, and cooperate with the government.”
Article | August 19, 2025
Overtaken by Events: What Delay Quantification Can Tell Us About Causality
In the International Construction Law Review, Stuart Jones presents an innovative approach to delay analysis in construction disputes. His article, “Overtaken by Events: What Delay Quantification Can Tell Us About Causality,” introduces a forensic and mathematical framework that challenges conventional assumptions about project delay and causation.
See All Insights
Talk to Our Insightful Experts