CPC-4-1-02 — Application Procedures for Automated Frequency Coordination System Administrators (AFCSAs)

Client Procedures Circular CPC-4-1-02, issue 1, Application Procedures for Automated Frequency Coordination System Administrators (AFCSAs), outlines procedures to be followed by applicants who wish to be considered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) for designation as AFCSAs to operate automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems. Such AFC systems shall determine the spectrum available for use by registered licence-exempt standard-power radio local area network (RLAN) devices while ensuring the appropriate protection of licensed systems operating within the same frequency range. This document also defines the administrative and operational requirements that these AFCSAs shall meet in order to maintain their designation status.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, through the Department of Industry Act, the Radiocommunication Act and the Radiocommunication Regulations, with due regard to the objectives of the Telecommunications Act, is responsible for spectrum management in Canada. As such, the Minister oversees the development of national policies and goals for spectrum resource use and ensures effective management of the radio frequency spectrum.

In accordance with subsection 3(4) of the Radiocommunication Act, any power, duty or function under the Act or the Radiocommunication Regulations may be exercised or performed by any person authorized by the Minister to do so and, if so exercised or performed, shall be deemed to have been exercised or performed by the Minister.

Designated AFCSAs responsible for operating AFC systems shall ensure effective sharing of the radio spectrum with licensed users when providing available frequencies to registered licence-exempt standard-power RLAN devices.

The Minister will designate such AFCSAs for operation in Canada in accordance with the requirements outlined in this document. As part of these requirements, designated AFCSAs will enter into contractual agreements with ISED for the purpose of maintaining their designation status. Such AFC systems will identify available frequencies for use by registered licence-exempt standard-power RLAN devices based on their respective geographic areas.

In May 2021, ISED released SMSE-006-21, Decision on the Technical and Policy Framework for Licence-Exempt Use in the 6 GHz Band, allowing the operation of licence-exempt RLAN devices in the 6 GHz frequency band. In this framework, ISED outlined general policies for the protection of licensed systems in the band. This includes the use of geolocation and the establishment of AFC systems operated by AFCSAs. The AFC system would be used to obtain the locations of registered licence-exempt standard-power RLAN devices as well as the locations and frequencies of protected licensed systems. The AFC system will inform a registered licence-exempt standard-power RLAN device operating in the band regarding the available frequencies for use at the device’s location.

Database Specification DBS-06, Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) System Specifications for the 6 GHz (5925-6875 MHz) Frequency Band, sets out the technical requirements for the designation of an AFCSA by ISED and for the ongoing operation of an AFC system capable of identifying available frequencies and associated maximum power levels for use by registered licence-exempt standard-power RLAN devices (standard-power access points and fixed client devices) operating in the 6 GHz frequency band in accordance with the technical rules set out by ISED.

Under the framework of DBS-06, any eligible applicant may seek designation by ISED to become an AFCSA, provided that they meet related technical and operational requirements. The process for this is described further in section 9 of this document.

Automated frequency coordination (AFC) system
An ISED-designated database-driven system that maintains records of protected licensed systems operating in the 5925-6875 MHz frequency band, as outlined in the DBS-06 standard (see section 6 of this document). The AFC system determines a list of available frequencies and associated maximum power levels for use by a licence-exempt standard-power RLAN device at a specific time and geographic location.

Automated frequency coordination system administrator (AFCSA)
A service provider designated by ISED to administer an AFC system within Canada.

Available frequencies
A range of frequencies and/or channels that are deemed by an AFC system as available for use by licence-exempt standard-power RLAN devices at a specific time and geographic location.

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA)
A technique by which a radio system dynamically adapts to the local radio spectrum environment in order to determine, and then access, available spectrum at specific locations and at a specific time.

Protected licensed systems
Licensed systems that are protected by an AFC system from interference by the operation of licence-exempt standard-power RLAN devices in the same frequency band.

Standard-power radio local area network (RLAN) device
A licence-exempt device designed to operate under the control of an AFC system on a licence-exempt basis on available frequencies in the 5925-6875 MHz frequency band, as outlined in the Radio Standards Specification (RSS) entitled RSS-248.

All ISED publications related to spectrum management and telecommunications are available on the Spectrum Management and Telecommunications website. Additional information and references related to AFC systems are available on ISED’s Dynamic Spectrum Access webpage. Refer to the following documents as needed:

Any prospective AFCSA is eligible to apply for designation by ISED. In order to be designated, applicants shall follow the procedures set out in this document and demonstrate that they meet all requirements.

In order to be eligible for designation, a prospective AFCSA shall establish and agree to maintain a business office and a delegated representative within Canada. Additionally, the AFC system shall be available for assessment by ISED during the system evaluation and testing phase. ISED will assess, on a case-by-case basis, whether the AFC system is operating effectively and is compliant with all applicable technical requirements.

During the development process of the AFC system, access to ISED’s licensing information is required. Access to the ISED licensing information is available on the Spectrum Management System Data webpage. Refer to the ‘6 GHz Band Data Extract for AFC systems’ section for the information required by AFC systems.

There are three key phases to the AFCSA designation process:

1. the application phase
2. the evaluation and testing phase and
3. the designation for operation in Canada phase

The applicant will need ISED’s approval for the completion of each phase before moving onto the next phase of the AFCSA designation process. The following sections provide a description of the process.

9.1 AFCSA application phase

Applications received for designation as an AFCSA will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications should be directed to the ISED point of contact identified in section 16 of this document.

If the application for designation includes information that is confidential or proprietary in nature, an AFCSA applicant shall indicate this to ISED.

9.1.1 Application receipt

In order for the application to be received by ISED and considered for designation status, applicants shall submit the required applicant information and system information listed in annex A and annex B, respectively.

When completing the application, the prospective AFCSA shall demonstrate to ISED that they possess sufficient technical expertise to establish and administer an AFC system in accordance with the requirements outlined in the DBS-06 standard.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with ISED (contact information provided in section 16) prior to submitting an application, to ensure that all required information has been sufficiently addressed.

9.1.2 Application review

ISED will only evaluate complete applications. Should insufficient information be submitted, or other problems arise due to missing or inconsistent information, the applicant will be contacted to provide clarifications or supplementary information.

ISED will review submitted information against the application requirements of this document and the requirements in the DBS-06 standard. Only applicants that meet the requirements of both documents (CPC-4-1-02 and DBS-06) will be eligible to become a designated AFCSA.

9.2 AFC system evaluation and testing phase

Once the application phase has been completed and the submitted information is approved by ISED, the AFCSA designation process moves to the evaluation and testing phase.

During the evaluation and testing phase, the AFCSA shall first test its AFC system according to the test plan submitted under item B1 of annex B and approved by ISED. The AFCSA shall demonstrate that its AFC system meets the requirements of the DBS-06 standard by successfully completing all the test cases included in the test plan and sharing the test results with ISED for review.

Once the AFCSA’s test results have been reviewed and approved by ISED, the AFCSA shall provide ISED with access to a test environment of its AFC system. ISED will then evaluate and test the AFC system to ensure that it complies with the requirements set out in the DBS-06 standard. Should insufficient information be provided or inconsistencies or errors arise when evaluating the AFC system against the DBS-06 standard, the applicant will be contacted to provide clarifications, provide supplementary information, or make modifications to the AFC system.

As part of the evaluation and testing phase, the AFCSA may also be required to grant ISED access to:

• certain elements of the AFC system
• certain functions performed by the AFC system and/or
• intermediate values obtained from internal calculations performed by the AFC system, including but not limited to geographical values describing the protected geographic areas around protected licensed systems

Additionally, ISED may require the AFCSA to provide detailed examples of calculations performed by the AFC system.

9.3 AFCSA designation for operation in Canada phase

Once the AFC system evaluation and testing phase has been completed and approved by ISED, the next phase is to designate the AFCSA for operation in Canada.

9.3.1 Execution of the designation agreement

Following successful evaluation and testing, ISED shall arrange the execution of a designation agreement in the sample format outlined in section C1 of annex C.

9.3.2 Designation letter

Upon successful completion of the application phase, system evaluation and testing phase, and execution of the designation agreement, ISED will issue a designation letter to the successful applicant in the sample format outlined in section C2 of annex C.

A list of all designated AFCSAs will be made available on ISED’s Dynamic Spectrum Access webpage.

ISED’s designation of an AFCSA does not imply or otherwise suggest promotion or recommendation of the services offered by the AFCSA, nor does the designation imply or suggest that the AFCSA is an agent or otherwise a representative of ISED.

In order to maintain its designation status, an AFCSA shall, on an ongoing basis, meet all requirements of the terms and conditions of the executed AFCSA designation agreement with ISED. As such, an AFCSA shall ensure that it remains compliant with any new requirements established by ISED and shall demonstrate this to ISED if requested to do so.

12.1 Retaining designation status due to new technical and/or operational requirements

This section and its subsections provide additional information on the process for retaining designation status due to the introduction of new technical and/or operational requirements for AFC systems, e.g. upon the publication of new issues of the DBS-06 standard.

AFCSAs wishing to retain their designation status shall take the required steps, if any, to update their AFC systems with the new technical and/or operational requirements and shall demonstrate compliance to ISED, if requested to do so, following a three-phase process: the application, the evaluation and testing, and the reconfirmation of designation.

12.1.1 Application for retaining designation status due to new technical and/or operational requirements

An AFCSA shall submit an application to ISED for retaining the designation under the new technical and/or operational requirements following a similar process to the one outlined in section 9.1 of this document.

The application for retaining designation under new requirements is subject to review and approval by ISED and shall:

• demonstrate the AFCSA’s intention to maintain its designation status and to align with the new requirements
• provide a description of any changes made to the AFC system to align it with the new requirements along with an estimated timeline for the changes to be completed
• provide a description of any changes and/or updates to the latest AFCSA applicant information (annex A) previously submitted to ISED
• provide a description of any changes and/or updates to the latest AFC system information (annex B) previously submitted to ISED

Should insufficient information be provided, the applicant will be contacted to provide clarifications or supplementary information.

12.1.2 Evaluation and testing due to new technical and/or operational requirements

Once the application for retaining designation is approved by ISED, the AFCSA moves to the evaluation and testing phase, if needed, following a similar process to the one outlined in section 9.2 of this document. ISED will require the evaluation and testing of the AFC system in certain cases where it determines that the changes are significant enough for evaluation and testing to be warranted. ISED will ensure that the AFC system complies with the new technical and/or operational requirements and may perform additional testing of other elements of the AFC system to ensure that it maintains compliance with all other requirements set out in the DBS-06 standard.

12.1.3 Reconfirmation of AFCSA designation status due to new technical and/or operational requirements

Once the AFC system evaluation and testing phase has been completed and approved by ISED, the next phase is to reconfirm the designation of the AFCSA under the new requirements. It is anticipated that in most cases, the designation agreement already in place with the AFCSA would not be affected by new technical and/or operational requirements and shall thus continue to remain in effect.

Upon successful eligibility for continuation of the designation, ISED will issue a new designation letter to the AFCSA. This will be based on the sample AFCSA designation letter provided in section C2 of annex C.

In cases of harmful interference, as defined in the Radiocommunication Act, to protected licensed systems suspected to be caused by a standard-power RLAN device, the licenced user experiencing such interference should report the problem to its nearest ISED Spectrum Management office. A list of ISED’s offices is provided in the Radiocommunication Information Circular RIC-66, Addresses and Telephone Numbers of District Offices. The procedure for investigating harmful interference to protected licenced systems is set out in section 5 of ISED’s Spectrum and Telecommunications Service Standards.

Where ISED determines that interference is being caused by a particular standard-power RLAN device, the Minister may issue an order to the operator of the device to cease or modify operation of the device under the Radiocommunication Regulations or pursuant to paragraph 5(1)(l) of the Radiocommunication Act where there is harmful interference.

In any case where there is interference being caused by a particular standard-power RLAN device, ISED may, upon written request, require an AFCSA:

• to cease to provide available frequencies to the interference-causing standard-power RLAN device or within a specified geographic area
• to take appropriate corrective actions to resolve interference concerns, linked to the AFC system’s operating problems or deficiencies and/or the AFC system’s failure to meet technical and/or operational requirements as set out in the DBS-06 standard.

Failure to comply with ISED’s written requests related to interference may result in the revocation of an AFCSA’s designation status.

ISED’s revocation procedures of the AFCSA designation will follow the terms set out in the agreement with the AFCSA. ISED may revoke the designation of an AFCSA due to non-compliance with any ISED requirements, including failure to comply with ISED’s written requests related to interference as specified in section 13 above.

Designation will also be revoked upon joint consent by ISED and the AFCSA to terminate the agreement.

An AFCSA whose designation status has been revoked by ISED will be removed from ISED’s list of designated AFCSAs.

An AFCSA whose designation status has been revoked and who wishes to be redesignated may submit a new application for designation.

ISED may audit an AFCSA’s AFC system operations at any time to ensure compliance with the agreement’s terms and conditions, including technical and operational requirements.

Designated AFCSAs shall provide ISED with any requested information or documentation as required for completion of such an audit within 30 calendar days of the date of the initial request.

Where it is determined by ISED that an AFCSA is not in compliance, immediate corrective actions shall be taken by the AFCSA to ISED’s satisfaction in order to maintain the designation status. Failure to take such corrective actions, within the time period specified by ISED, may result in ISED’s suspension or revocation of the designation status.

All application submissions and enquiries concerning application procedures and requirements should be directed to the office of:

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Directorate of Coordination and Terrestrial Engineering (DCTE)
235 Queen St.
Ottawa ON  K1A 0H5

Email: dynamicspectrumaccess-accesdynamiqueauspectre@ised-isde.gc.ca

A1. The applicant shall provide a list of the appropriate contact information of its personnel/representatives responsible for the application, including full names, telephone numbers, corporate email addresses, and mailing addresses.

A2. The applicant shall provide a copy of its certificate of incorporation, including any bylaws, addenda, and appendices. This is not required if such information has already been provided to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada prior to the application and this information remains unchanged.

A3. The applicant shall provide a description of its corporate business structure and identify any existing or anticipated business partners or affiliates.

A4. The applicant shall provide the street address of its business office in Canada and the contact information of the individual(s) delegated as its representative(s) in Canada, including the corporate mailing address(es).

A5. The applicant shall provide details of the geographic locations where any element of the automated frequency coordination (AFC) system is hosted.

A6. The applicant shall indicate anticipated milestone dates for AFC system development (if any), and the expected date for bringing the proposed AFC system into full operation.

B1. The applicant shall provide a test plan, including specific test cases intended to demonstrate how the AFC system will meet all requirements outlined in the Database Specification DBS-06, issue 1, Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) System Specifications for the 6 GHz (5925-6875 MHz) Frequency Band standard. The test plan is subject to review and approval by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

B2. The applicant shall provide a description of any alternate methodologies and/or optional requirements, if permitted in the DBS-06 standard, which were drawn upon. If the applicant chose to implement an alternate methodology, they shall provide a description of their implementation and demonstrate that it is based on sound and standard engineering practices and ensures the appropriate protection of licensed systems.

B3. The applicant shall provide technical diagrams illustrating the architecture of the AFC system, and a detailed description of how each function operates and interacts with other functions. The applicant shall also identify each element in the system architecture that is essential to operational and interference control. In addition, the applicant shall indicate where such essential elements are hosted.

B4. The applicant shall include a description of the methods (e.g. interfaces, protocols) that will be used for secure communication between the AFC system and its associated standard-power radio local area network devices and the procedures, if any, which it plans to use to verify that communication is effective.

B5. The applicant shall include a description of the security methods that will be used to protect against unauthorized parties accessing or altering the AFC system or otherwise corrupting the operation of the system in the performance of its intended functions. The applicant shall also include a description of the methods that will be used to protect any sensitive or personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification of the information.

B6. The applicant shall provide a detailed description of any open-source software used in the AFC system and demonstrate that its use is based on sound and standard engineering practices and that it was developed with sufficient technical expertise.

B7. If the applicant will not be performing all system functions, they shall provide information on all other entities performing these functions, and their business relationships to the applicant. In particular, the applicant shall address how ISED will be assured that all requirements of designated system administration are satisfied when functions are divided among multiple entities. This include a description of how data will be transferred among various entities and other systems, and the expected schedule of such data transfers.

If an automated frequency coordination system administrator (AFCSA) application is received by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and its evaluation and testing phase proves to be successful, the AFCSA applicant will then be required to sign a designation agreement with ISED before it can be designated by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Following the execution of the designation agreement, a designation letter is issued to the AFCSA.

Section C1 below includes a sample of text proposed to be included in the designation agreement with the AFCSA, denoting typical requirements for the terms and conditions.

Section C2 below includes a sample of text proposed to be included in the designation letter issued to the AFCSA.

C1. Sample AFCSA designation agreement

This agreement is between Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and [Company Ltd.], hereinafter referred to as the automated frequency coordination system administrator (AFCSA).

The AFCSA’s delegated individual indicated below certifies having the authority to bind the AFCSA, which agrees, for good and valid consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, to abide by all of the terms and conditions herein.

Sample AFCSA Designation Agreement - Terms and Conditions

1. The automated frequency coordination system administrator (AFCSA) certifies that all information submitted to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) in relation to its designation application is accurate and complete, and that it will promptly (but in no event later than 30 calendar days subsequently) notify ISED if it becomes aware of any material change in this information. It is a breach of this Agreement to knowingly provide inaccurate information or to fail to disclose a material change to ISED.

2. The AFCSA has a business office located in Canada and a delegated individual as its representative in Canada, and agrees to always maintain a business office and a representative in Canada. The mailing address of the business office and the contact information of the representative are set out in Schedule “A” of this Agreement. The AFCSA will also make contact information available to the public and strive to provide timely responses to complaints or enquiries from customers, equipment manufacturers, spectrum users or any other party.

3. Any requests for information from the AFCSA or notices to the AFCSA under this Agreement may be sent to the delegated representative at the coordinates set out in Schedule "A" via standard mail or email as appropriate. Any information that the AFCSA is required to forward to ISED may be sent via standard mail to 235 Queen Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5 or via email at dynamicspectrumaccess-accesdynamiqueauspectre@ised-isde.gc.ca. Information provided pursuant to this Agreement may be exchanged either by standard mail or by email. The AFCSA shall notify ISED in a timely manner of any change in the mailing address of the business office or the contact information of the delegated representative provided in Schedule "A".

4. The parties agree that, irrespective of the hosting location of the automated frequency coordination (AFC) system, the laws of the province/territory in which the AFCSA’s business office is physically located shall apply to this Agreement.

5. The AFCSA shall not promote its designation status to provide AFC system services beyond the scope of this Agreement, nor indicate that it is an agent or representative of ISED or the Government of Canada. This does not limit the AFCSA from providing additional value-added services outside the scope of this designation.

6. The AFCSA may charge fees for providing available frequencies and associated maximum power levels to standard-power radio local area network (RLAN) devices. ISED may review the fees and require modifications to those fees if ISED finds them unreasonable.

7. The AFCSA shall provide available frequencies and associated maximum power levels in a non-discriminatory manner for every standard-power RLAN device under the control of the AFC system.

8. The AFCSA agrees that it will comply on an ongoing basis with all procedures, technical and operational requirements, as set out in this document and in DBS-06, Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) System Specifications for the 6 GHz (5925-6875 MHz) Frequency Band, as amended from time to time. In addition, the AFCSA must keep abreast of all relevant ISED regulations, policies, procedures, requirements, standards and specifications, and amendments thereto related to the operation of standard-power RLAN devices and AFC systems in Canada. This may include active participation in evaluation tests, discussion groups, meetings, or teleconferences established as deemed necessary by ISED to facilitate or address AFC system issues.

9. The AFCSA shall strive to maintain continuous operation of the AFC system and provide notifications to its customers and ISED when it becomes temporarily unavailable (whether planned or unplanned).

10. The AFCSA shall provide to a licensee, upon request from ISED and in a timely manner, a list of registered standard-power RLAN device information (e.g. geographic coordinates and antenna height), excluding any personal information, pertaining to the protection of licensed systems of that licensee for the purpose of investigating interference cases.

11. The AFCSA shall provide to ISED, upon request and within 5 business days, a list of the standard-power RLAN device information (e.g. geographic coordinates, antenna height, manufacturer’s serial number, and IC ID) and the associated points of contact information (e.g. name, mailing address, phone number, and email address) registered with its AFC system.

12. The AFCSA shall permit, upon request from ISED and in a timely manner, a licensee to examine the AFC system’s calculation results pertaining to the protection of the licensed systems of that licensee.

13. The AFCSA agrees that any licensing information that ISED designates as confidential shall not be disclosed to any other person without the express written consent of ISED. Furthermore, the AFCSA agrees that it shall take steps to keep any such confidential information secure and shall only allow its sharing and use by its own personnel/representatives as necessary in order to administer its operations under this Agreement.

14. The AFCSA shall not compromise the privacy of users of its services at any time. Any time the AFCSA or any party that it contracts with collects, uses or discloses personal information during commercial activity, including transfer for third party processing, it must comply with the relevant portions of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, as amended, or substantially similar Provincial/Territorial legislation, where applicable. No matter where and how personal information is stored, the AFCSA must maintain adequate security safeguards to protect personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. At any time, ISED may, in writing, request details of the current security safeguards used by the AFCSA or any party it contracts with and that information must be provided within the timeframes and in the format specified in ISED’s written request.

15. Unless otherwise stated in this Agreement, the AFCSA is not required to disclose any information that it may collect to support additional services.

16. ISED may audit or investigate compliance with terms and conditions of this Agreement at any time; the AFCSA shall be required to provide any information or documentation as required, typically within 30 calendar days of the date of request.

17. The AFCSA agrees to cooperate with ISED in any review or audit of its AFC system operations, and to provide any information that ISED may request in order to ensure compliance. Irrespective of the hosting locations of the elements of an AFC system and any data stored within it, the AFCSA shall provide access to ISED for review and audit purposes.

18. The AFCSA shall address all complaints forwarded to it by ISED regarding potential non-compliance with terms of designation, shall implement the necessary corrective action(s), and shall report back to ISED within 30 calendar days. Failure to reply in a satisfactory and timely manner will be considered by ISED as a potential breach of this Agreement. Where there is any complaint about interference sent directly to the AFCSA, the AFCSA shall keep a record of the complaint and its responses to the complaint and shall provide that information to ISED.

19. The AFCSA shall provide ISED with access to detailed logs of standard-power RLAN device queries and responses contained in its AFC system, for the purposes of evaluation and enforcement.

20. The AFCSA shall comply with any written requests from ISED related to interference. ISED may request the AFCSA to cease to provide available frequencies to an interference-causing standard-power RLAN device or within a specified geographic area. ISED may also request the AFCSA to resolve interference concerns linked to the AFC system’s operating problems or deficiencies; and/or the AFC system’s failure to meet technical and/or operational requirements as set out in the DBS-06 standard.

21. The AFCSA shall permit ISED to examine its repository of incumbent licensee information obtained from ISED’s Spectrum Management System and any other information registered with the AFC system (e.g. standard-power RLAN device registration information) to allow for the detection and correction of errors, resulting either from an inadvertent entry of incorrect data or as a result of a deliberate entry of false data in the AFC system.

22. In addition to any other reporting requirements, the AFCSA will provide ISED, by March 31 each year and also upon request from ISED, with a report and statistical information regarding overall AFC system performance, operational issues, developments such as new features offered to users, complaints or enquiries received, including the timing and content of responses provided and efforts at resolution, and incidents of standard-power RLAN devices causing interference to protected licensed systems. This report shall address the above-noted matters for the previous calendar year, and will be provided to ISED in a suitable format for assessment.

23. Where it is determined by ISED that an AFCSA is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the AFCSA must take immediate corrective actions, to the satisfaction of ISED, in order to maintain designation status. Failure to take such corrective actions may result in ISED’s suspension or revocation of the AFCSA’s designation status.

24. Without prejudice to any other remedies available at law, in the event of any breach of this Agreement by the AFCSA, ISED may take any or all of the following actions:

1. provide notice of the breach and a timeline within which the breach must be remedied;
2. enforce the terms of this Agreement via a court order;
3. require that the AFCSA provide a separate enforceable undertaking to do or refrain from doing something under this Agreement;
4. declare that this Agreement is terminated with or without the consent of the AFCSA; and
5. revoke the designation of the AFCSA.

25. The AFCSA agrees that it is responsible to take appropriate steps to transfer registration data and other relevant information, in a timely manner, to another designated AFCSA prior to ceasing its operations or to the termination of this Agreement in order to ensure the continuity of operation of the standard-power RLAN devices that communicate with its AFC system. In the event that there are no other designated AFCSAs available for the transfer, the AFCSA must notify ISED in a timely manner and take appropriate steps to transfer the information to ISED instead.

26. In the case where an AFCSA’s designation status has been revoked by ISED or where this Agreement is terminated, the AFCSA will be removed from ISED’s list of designated AFCSAs.

27. The AFCSA and ISED may terminate this Agreement upon joint consent, or upon provision of 90 calendar days’ advance notice by either the AFCSA or ISED. In addition, ISED may terminate this Agreement at any time upon confirmation of breach of terms or conditions of this Agreement by the AFCSA, in accordance with paragraph 24 (d) above. Upon termination of this Agreement, the AFCSA shall follow the procedure specified in paragraph 25 above.

28. This Agreement may be amended in writing upon consent of both parties.

29. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

Schedule “A”

Business Office of the AFCSA

[Company Ltd.]
[Address]

Attention: [delegated individual]
Email: [email address]
Phone: [phone number(s)]

C2. Sample AFCSA designation letter

[Date]

[Company Ltd.]
[First name, Last name], [CEO/Director]
[Address]

Dear [First name, Last name]:

This letter certifies that [designated AFCSA’s name] is designated by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to operate an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system in Canada.

This designation is subject to the conditions outlined in Client Procedures Circular CPC-4-1-02, Application Procedures for Automated Frequency Coordination System Administrators (AFCSAs) and Database Specification DBS-06, Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) System Specifications for the 6 GHz (5925-6875 MHz) Frequency Band, as well as the “AFCSA Designation Agreement” as signed by the applicant on [date].

Your designated AFCSA identification number is: [AFCSA ID number].

Thank you for participating in this important function for the successful deployment of standard-power RLAN devices in Canada.

Martin Proulx
Director General,
Engineering, Planning and Standards Branch
Spectrum and Telecommunications Sector
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada