Canada Opportunities for U.S. Companies in the 5G Ecosystem
The 3500 MHz spectrum auction is a significant step for companies looking to expand their 5G coverage in Canada. Canada has also announced the decision to repurpose the 3800 MHz spectrum band to support 5G services and auctions for this band are expected to take place in early 2023. Both bands are viewed as key spectrum to enable 5G networks and technologies in Canada.
Since 2015, the Government of Canada has made $7.2 billion available for rural and remote Internet infrastructure. Budget 2021 proposes to provide an additional $1 billion over six years, starting in 2021–22, for the Universal Broadband Fund to support a more rapid rollout of broadband projects. Wireless broadband service licensees in urban areas are expected to transition by 2025, and licensees in rural areas by 2027.
In the private sector, these investments, and announcements present potential opportunities for U.S. companies in the 5G ecosystem and enabling technologies like:
- Hardware (modules, chipsets, infrastructure),
- Network (equipment, operations, data centers, OSS/BSS),
- Connectivity (mobile, FWA, LTE-M, NB-IOT),
- Platforms (IoT, Smart Cities, ITS, Health IT), and
- Software and Services (applications, analytics, integration, and media).
The U.S. Commercial Service Canada is closely following the 5G developments and is ready to assist U.S. companies with advocacy support, business-to-business contact information, and facilitation for the Canadian supply chain.
For more information about 5G opportunities and how the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada assists U.S. exporters, visit www.trade.gov/canada or contact National Sector Coordinator – Tracey.Ford@trade.gov or regionally Shweta.Nagpal@trade.gov (Ontario), Connie.Irrera@trade.gov (Quebec), Connie.Haider@trade.gov (Alberta).