Canada to Hold Key 5G Spectrum Auction in 2020, Says Bains

Canada to Hold Key 5G Spectrum Auction in 2020, Says Bains
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains speaks during an announcement on investments in 5G technology by the Ontario, Quebec, and federal governments, in Ottawa on March 19, 2018. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
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TORONTO—Canada’s minister for telecommunications says the government will hold a key auction of wireless spectrum for fifth-generation mobile networks in 2020—a schedule that’s unlikely to satisfy the country’s major carriers.

Industry players have been calling for the auction of 3,500 megahertz spectrum to be held in 2019 in order to keep up with other countries as smartphone makers develop equipment capable of using 5G networks.