Transfer of Spectrum Licences Held by Vidéotron s.e.n.c. to Freedom Mobile Inc.

Application

1. On June 13, 2017, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) received an application for the transfer of three spectrum licences in the Mobile Broadband Service (MBS) band and four spectrum licences in the Broadband Radio Service (BRS) band, from Vidéotron s.e.n.c., a Quebecor Media Inc. (Quebecor) affiliate, through a series of Quebecor affiliate companies,^{Footnote 1} to Freedom Mobile Inc. (Freedom Mobile), an affiliate of Shaw Communications Inc. (Shaw). The licences are in Southern Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia and are described in annex A.

2. The application was reviewed under the relevant provisions of Client Procedures Circular CPC-2-1-23, Licensing Procedure for Spectrum Licences for Terrestrial Services.

3. Capitalized terms not defined in this decision have the meaning set out in CPC-2-1-23.

Decision

4. The overall transfer of the licences from Vidéotron to Freedom Mobile is approved.

Rationale

5. The application was assessed against the policy objectives and criteria set out in section 5.6 of CPC-2-1-23.

6. ISED notes that the requested licence transfers involve spectrum that is currently not being used to provide services and will provide an opportunity to Freedom Mobile to put such spectrum to use for the benefit of Canadians.

7. ISED has determined that the requested licence transfers will not significantly impact the ability of existing or future competitors to provide services given that the transfer will not substantially change the post‑transfer concentration of commercial mobile spectrum in the affected licence areas.

Annex A