Non-competitive local licensing (NCLL)

Yes, the 3900 MHz band is a 5G band.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has identified a 5G frequency band that covers the 3900-3980 MHz (i.e., n77), resulting in access to an equipment ecosystems that could support different types of networks or use cases. Following this, in May 2021, ISED published the Decision on the Technical and Policy Framework for the 3650-4200 MHz Band and Changes to the Frequency Allocation of the 3500-3650 MHz Band. In this policy framework, ISED designated the 3900-3980 MHz band for shared usage to leverage the emerging equipment ecosystems for 5G technology and provide opportunities for users including wireless Internet service providers (WISPs), utilities, and industry verticals.

Note that licensees can deploy 5G or other wireless technologies as long as ISED's technical standards are met (i.e., SRSP-521, Technical Requirements for Non-Competitive Local Licensed Services, including Fixed and/or Mobile Systems, and Flexible Use Broadband Systems, in the Band 3900-3980 MHz, RSS-198, Flexible Use Broadband Equipment Operating in the Band 3900-3980 MHz).

Yes, there is a list of current licensees.

This information can be found at Spectrum Management System. You can also find out other licensees in your area using the NCLL spectrum browser found on the NCLL services page.

ISED is adopting a simple demonstration of deployment (a "yes/no" system) to meet the condition of licence on deployment. Details on how to upload information will be found on the SMS site data upload website. Alternatively, you will also be able to find information in this video.

You can create multiple adjacent licence areas by performing the following steps in the NCLL portal:

1. Duplicate the application/licence that you wish to create an adjacent area licence for by clicking "Duplicate" under "Actions" in the portal.

2. Edit the licence area of the newly created duplicate application:

• you can edit the licence area either by modifying the coordinates listed in the "Boundary points" table, or by re-drawing the area using the drawing tool

There are two important deadlines you should keep in mind as a licensee. They are as follows:

• you have to upload licence site data every 30 days

• you have to deploy at least one station within 2 years of your licence's effective date

A licence fee calculator is available to determine the total licence fee.

The annual licence fee for a non-competitive local licence is calculated by multiplying the base rate for the area type selected (metro and urban; rural or remote) multiplied by the total frequency blocks in MHz, multiplied by the area size in km².

If any portion of an NCL licence falls within a remote area, the fees are calculated using the remote base rate. Otherwise, if any portion of an NCL licence is located in a metro/urban area, then fees are calculated using the metro/urban base rate.

This table below shows which area type is used to determine the applicable base rate in case of overlap. Commonly referred to as the "Fee zone".

Payments must be made on the Online Payment and View Invoices webpage.
There are several ways you can reach that page:

1. you can visit Online Payment and View Invoices directly at any time
2. on the NCLL portal, you can select the application or licence you wish to pay for and click the "Pay" button in the portal under "Actions"
3. when you have an invoice due, you will receive an email that contains payment instructions. That email will contain a link to Online Payment and View Invoices

For a new application, you can cancel the invoice by withdrawing the application. In the NCLL services page, navigate to the NCLL portal, find the application, and under the "Actions" menu select "Withdraw". The application withdrawal will automatically cancel the invoice.

An invoice for a renewable licence can only be cancelled by contacting ISED.

Our service commitment is to provide your NCL licence within 12 weeks.

This commitment is contingent on the availability of the requested spectrum and the completeness of your application, with no errors.

An NCL licence application may be rejected if it does not conform to policy, technical or other requirements.

Some examples of reasons for an application being rejected include:

• the spectrum applied for is not available in the requested area
• the spectrum aggregation limit would be exceeded

In the 3900 MHz band, the spectrum aggregation limit is exceeded when a licensee has multiple overlapping licences that result in more than 20 MHz of a total bandwidth at any given location. For instance, if the applicant already holds licences for blocks A3 and A4 in a particular area and applies for block A6 in an area that fully or partially overlaps the existing licence area, the application would be rejected.

It's important to note that if the same frequency block is shared between the overlapping licences, it is only counted once when calculating total spectrum usage. Therefore, if both the existing and proposed licences cover the same blocks, the spectrum aggregation limit would not be exceeded.

If an application is rejected, a detailed report will be sent to you via email.

Yes, licences will be automatically renewed if all conditions of licence are met and the renewal invoice is paid in full. The system will send an email to the licensee if it detects an issue that may impact the renewal.

No, it is not possible to edit a submitted application. You can withdraw an application even after you've received an invoice. In the NCLL services page, navigate to the NCLL portal, then find the application, and under the "Actions" menu select "Withdraw".

No, it is not possible to edit a licence. If you wish to acquire a licence that covers the same area as another licence that you already hold, but with a different technical configuration, then you have two options available to you:

1. Apply for an overlapping licence while retaining your original licence.
2. Cancel your original licence by clicking "Cancel licence" under "Actions" in the portal, and apply for a new licence in the same area.

The below table lists the advantages and disadvantages for each option applied to 3900 MHz band.

The maximum area size per licence is as follows:

• low power: 15 km²
• medium power: 165 km²

There is no limit on the number of licences a licensee may hold. For example, to cover an area of 45 km², an applicant could apply for three low power licences with each licence covering 15 km² and must deploy at least one low power base station in each licence area. As a second example, to cover an area of 200 km², an applicant could apply for multiple low power licences or multiple medium power licences or a combination of low power and/or medium power licences, depending on the use case and power requirements.

In the 3900 MHz band, ISED has implemented a limit of 20 MHz of spectrum that a licensee can acquire in any given geographic area. As well, ISED expects that there will be significant demand for this band and that it may take some smaller mobile operators as well as non-traditional users time to develop their business cases for using the spectrum. Given this, ISED is reserving the 3940 MHz to 3980 MHz portion of the 3900 MHz band for small operators including small commercial mobile service providers, non-traditional users, and WISPs. However, for specific use cases and in situations where interference risks are low, ISED will permit eligible NCL licensees to hold up to 80 MHz.

To qualify, applications must meet all criteria in SAB-03-25 — Notice of amendment to spectrum limit condition of licence in the 3900 MHz band under the non-competitive local (NCL) licensing framework.

ISED will update its licensing portal to support requests of up to 80 MHz. Until then, licensees that hold 20 MHz and meet the criteria may apply here to request an increase of spectrum.

ISED will allow licensees to hold up to 80 MHz for specific use cases, and where interference risks to other spectrum users are low. To be considered, applications must meet all the following criteria:

• the applicant is a radiocommunication user as defined in the Radiocommunication Regulations
• the applicant is an industrial user, specifically: a warehouse, mine, factory, Canadian offshore oil and gas production site, or a radio access network manufacturer conducting research for 5G or 6G services
• the applicant is an existing NCL licensee with 20 MHz of spectrum in the requested area
• the applicant is compliant with the conditions of licence for all its existing NCL licences
• the applicant is seeking a renewable licence (i.e., an annual licence)
• the applicant is able to coexist with all impacted existing NCL operations and other services as determined by the applicable technical requirements
• the applicant can demonstrate that they control physical access to the entire licence area during the licence term, thereby controlling the ability to deploy network infrastructure in the licence area. This includes showing that the applicant owns or leases the entire licence area or that they have made arrangements with the owners/lessors of the physical area to be covered by the licence
• the entire requested licence area must be located outside of any metropolitan Tier 5 service area boundaries
• applications in urban Tier 5 service areas must be for indoor use only, but may be indoor or outdoor in rural and remote Tier 5 service areas

Yes. ISED offers a radio equipment search function to determine availability of equipment. Select advanced search, in the Radio Specification (BETS99-RSS999) box select RSS-198, Flexible Use Broadband Equipment Operating in the Band 3900-3980 MHz (the equipment standard for 3900 MHz), then hit search.

You can use existing equipment so long as it complies with RSS-198,  Flexible Use Broadband Equipment Operating in the Band 3900-3980 MHz, and is certified accordingly. To determine if your equipment is already certified, check the Radio Equipment Search.

If your equipment is not already certified, you would need to complete the steps detailed in RSP-100, Certification of Radio Apparatus and Broadcasting Equipment.

The maximum power and antenna height is determined based on licence type and specific bands of operation. Details on this can be found on our landing page (About NCLL) section or for more details about the 3900-3980 MHz band refer to SRSP-521, Technical Requirements for Non-Competitive Local Licensed Services, including Fixed and/or Mobile Systems, and Flexible Use Broadband Systems, in the Band 3900-3980 MHz.

Specific coordination rules (including coordination distances) and procedures for the sharing of the 3900-3980 MHz band between Canadian and United States (US) licensees are under negotiation between ISED and the Federal Communications Commission. Until the international agreements are finalized, NCLL licensees planning to establish or modify a fixed or base station along the Canada-US border shall be required to meet the technical requirements outlined in section 10 of SRSP-521, Technical Requirements for Non-Competitive Local Licensed Services, including Fixed and/or Mobile Systems, and Flexible Use Broadband Systems, in the Band 3900-3980 MHz.

To determine if a service area is in a metro, urban, rural, or remote Tier 5 area, refer to service areas for competitive licensing. The category breakdown can be viewed by selecting a geographical point on the map or by scrolling through the table.

There are no concerns if your area crosses into another tier area.

You will see various application and licence statuses in the portal. The table below explains what each status means.

Statuses that apply to submitted applications:

Statuses that apply to licences:

The portal presents 4 information summary cards, titled "Applications", "Licences", "Payment due", and "Compliance".

Each of these cards displays a set of metrics. The below table provides a detailed explanation of each displayed metric.

You will see a compliance status listed for licences in the portal. There are three possible compliance statuses, detailed in the table below.

If we have rejected your application due to limited spectrum availability, then we will provide you with a summary report that details ISED's spectrum availability analysis. You can download this report by clicking "Download summary report" under "Actions" in the portal.

Determine your frequency band

NCLL is currently available in the 3900 MHz band (3900 to 3980 MHz). It is comprised of 10 MHz frequency blocks (A1 through A8). In a single application, you can request either one 10 MHz block or two neighbouring (contiguous) blocks up to 20 MHz.

If you want two frequency blocks that aren't contiguous (e.g., A2 and A4), then you must submit two separate applications.

You can request to have a specific frequency block or have us automatically select one for you. Note that large mobile service providers are not eligible to apply for blocks A5-A8 (i.e., 3940-3980 MHz).

Determine your licence duration

You have a choice of requesting a renewable or temporary licence.

Renewable: Expires each year on March 31 with the option to renew.
Temporary: Can be from 1 day to 11 months.

You can apply for a licence 90 days in advance of the start date.

Determine your licence area

Identify the location you wish to licence. You can use the NCLL spectrum browser tool on the NCLL services page to draw your area and acquire a list of coordinates in WKT format. Alternatively, the application form also allows you to enter a list of coordinates or to draw your licence area directly on an interactive map. A maximum of 12 points is allowed.

For a low-power licence your licence area can be up to 15 km², and for a medium-power licence your licence area can be between 75 and 165 km². Note that within two years, you will need to deploy one station in your licence area.

If you require a larger area, you can apply for multiple adjacent licences. We provide a "duplicate licence" feature to make this straightforward. There is no limit to the number of NCLL licences one licensee can hold.

If you do not already have one, you can create it by selecting Create your Web Profile – Registration Type. You should receive a response within 5 business days.

From the NCLL services page, navigate to the NCLL portal then login with your web account, and select "Start new application". Fill in the information you compiled at step 1 above. Your progress is saved automatically as you proceed, and you can find draft applications in the "Draft applications" section of the portal.

If your application is approved, then we will send you an invoice, and you will receive your licence once full payment is received.

If your application is not approved, we will keep you informed.

You must start uploading site data one month after the licence is issued and continue doing so on a monthly basis.

• please reference CPC-2-1-30 - Technical Information Associated with Radiocommunication Installations for information on the requirements.

If no station has been deployed yet, use "NOSTATIONS" upload

• to do so, complete the spreadsheet up to column E and place "NOSTATIONS" in the Station Location column (Column F) of the file to be uploaded.

If there is no change to your site data since the last upload, use "NOCHANGE" upload

• to do so, complete the spreadsheet up to Column E and place "NOCHANGE" in the Station Location column (Column F) of the file to be uploaded. Doing this indicates that those stations continue to be in operation and that the data on file remains current.

The following sites can help you with this process:

• How to Upload Spectrum Licence Site Data 
• Text Format for Spectrum Licence Site Data Upload 
• FAQ: Spectrum Licence Site Data Upload Please follow the deployment requirements  

You must deploy at least one station and begin operating your network within two years of the licence's effective date, ensuring continuous service delivery.

Once your network is active, you will need to demonstrate to ISED that you are providing service across your licence area on an ongoing basis by uploading your site data monthly. See the previous section for more details.

As a condition of your licence, you are not permitted to transmit outside of your licence area.

See section 11 of R3 — Spectrum Licences issued via Non-Competitive Local Licensing in the Band 3900-3980 MHz for more information.

If you are installing or modifying an antenna system, you must comply with ISED's Antenna Tower Siting Procedures (CPC-2-0-03), which includes ensuring compliance with limits on radio frequency emissions (see Comply with Safety Code 6).

Before proposing a new antenna-supporting structure, licensees must investigate sharing or using existing infrastructure.

If a licensee plans to install a new antenna system or modify an existing antenna system not specifically exempt under Section 6 of CPC-2-0-03, they must adhere the applicable land-use authority requirements and engage in the public consultation process.

All licensees must satisfy the general requirements outlined in Section 7 of CPC-2-0-03.

For more information: 

• Facts about towers 
• CPC-2-0-03 – Radiocommunication and Broadcasting Antenna Systems 
• CPC-2-0-17 – Conditions of Licence for Mandatory Roaming and Antenna Tower and Site Sharing and to Prohibit Exclusive Site Arrangements 

To protect the health and safety of Canadians from over exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy, ISED has adopted Health Canada's Safety Code 6 (SC6) guidelines, which sets recommended limits for safe human exposure to RF energy.

It is the responsibility of proponents and operators of installations to ensure that all radiocommunication and broadcasting installations comply with SC6 at all times, including the consideration of combined effects of nearby installations within the local radio environment.

For more information see Radiofrequency Energy and Safety. 

Canada and the United States establish agreements or arrangements to enable equitable spectrum access by each country along the Canada/U.S. border. These agreements or arrangements could result in specific technical requirements for certain frequency bands. Negotiations between ISED and the FCC are currently underway regarding the 3900 MHz band, and any associated technical requirements (also known as cross-border requirements).NCL licensees are required to comply with any resulting cross-border requirements that ISED implements. Until the cross-border requirements are finalized, NCL licensees are required to comply with the interim measures currently prescribed in section 10 of SRSP-521 – Technical Requirements for Non-Competitive Local Licensed Services, including Fixed and/or Mobile Systems, and Flexible Use Broadband Systems, in the Band 3900-3980 MHz.

It is recommended that NCL licensees review the 3900 MHz Cross-Border Best Practices document. This document provides guidance to help NCL licensees evaluate their potential compliance with the cross-border requirements. However, it does not constitute a comprehensive guideline for network design or station deployment and should not be interpreted as such. As well, this guide is not intended to eliminate all possibilities of interference.

You must deploy at least one station within 2 years of effective date of licence and start using your network to continuously provide services.

Once your network is operational, you must demonstrate ongoing service delivery across your licenced area updated site data to ISED on a monthly basis. Refer to the previous section for more details.

As a condition of your licence, you are not permitted to transmit outside of your licence area. 

See section 11 of R3 — Spectrum Licences issued via Non-Competitive Local Licensing in the Band 3900-3980 MHz for more information.

If you are offering or providing telecommunications services to the public, you may need to register with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

See Register as a Telecommunications provider to register.

If you operate equipment that requires an International Mobile Subscription Identity (IMSI) such as LTE or 5G systems, you may qualify for a Canadian-administered Mobile Network Code (MNC) assigned by the Canadian Numbering Administration Consortium (CNAC). A Canadian-administered MNC can be used with Canada's Mobile Country Code (302).

To determine your eligibility, refer to section 7 of the Canadian International Mobile Network Code Assignment Guideline, found on Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering: Guidelines and Numbering Links to see if you qualify for a Canadian MNC. 

If you plan to operate a private network and don't qualify for a Canadian-administered MNC, you can consider using Mobile Country Code (MCC) 999, which is a globally shared country code for private networks. With this country code, you can use an MNC of your choice. For more information, visit Appendix III to Recommendation ITU-T E.212 (06/2024).