Bill C-268 Spectrum Policy Framework
C-268 An Act Respecting the Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada
Short Title: Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada Act
Bill Type: Private Member’s Bill
Bill Sponsor: Marianne Dandurand (Compton—Stanstead)
What is this Bill trying to do?
Canada's National Spectrum Policy — the framework that governs who gets to use wireless airwaves and how — was last updated in 2007 and currently has no mandatory update cycle. This Bill would create the five-year review obligation for the first time. Right now the Minister can leave it untouched indefinitely, which is exactly what happened for nearly 20 years.
The iPhone had just launched. LTE didn't exist. This Bill requires the CRTC to verify that the coverage maps carriers submit are actually accurate and requires the Minister of Industry to review and update the Spectrum Policy Framework within 18 months with a mandatory five-year review cycle after that. The focus is rural and remote connectivity, numbered roads and Indigenous communities where coverage is poor and public safety is at risk.
Status: 2nd Reading — debate May 5, 2026. This Bill hasn't passed yet.
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WHO GAINS POWER
- The CRTC gains a statutory mandate to verify carrier coverage data — currently carriers self-report with no independent accuracy check
- The Minister of Industry gains a formal obligation to review and update the Spectrum Policy Framework on a five-year cycle
- Rural, remote and Indigenous communities gain explicit recognition as priority connectivity areas in the review mandate
- Public safety agencies and first responders gain a seat at the consultation table as named stakeholders
WHO LOSES POWER
- ⚠️ Carriers lose the ability to self-report coverage data without scrutiny — but only once the CRTC establishes its verification process, which the Bill gives six months to design
- ⚠️ The Minister retains full discretion over what changes to the Framework are "necessary" — the Bill requires a review and a report but does not require the Minister to act on the findings
- ⚠️ No carrier is required to expand coverage — the Bill addresses the policy framework and data accuracy, not deployment obligations. Carriers can continue to under-serve rural areas while the framework is being reviewed
WHO GAINS MONEY
- Rural and remote communities gain potential economic benefit if improved spectrum policy eventually drives better connectivity and competition
- Independent telecommunications providers gain if new spectrum licensing of unused spectrum is prioritized — the Bill explicitly flags this as a competition consideration
- Equipment and infrastructure suppliers gain if updated spectrum policy triggers new deployment requirements
WHO LOSES MONEY
- Major carriers face potential new deployment obligations if the updated Framework includes enforceable requirements — but only if the Minister recommends them and Parliament acts on those recommendations
- ⚠️ No compensation mechanism for communities that have gone without adequate coverage for decades — the Bill is forward-looking only
THE CATCH
- ⚠️ The Spectrum Policy Framework was last updated in 2007 — this Bill creates an obligation to review it but not to fix it. The Minister reviews, reports and recommends. Parliament then decides whether to act. There is no guarantee the Framework changes after the review
- ⚠️ Coverage data verification is the CRTC's job to design — the Bill gives the CRTC six months to establish a process but does not specify what accurate means, what penalties apply for submitting false data or what happens to a carrier whose maps are found to be wrong
- ⚠️ "Any other stakeholder that the Minister considers appropriate" — the consultation list is open-ended and Minister-controlled. The Minister decides who gets a voice in the review
- The five-year review cycle is permanent and mandatory — that's the strongest accountability mechanism in the Bill and it's genuinely useful, but it only produces reports, not action
- ⚠️ Rural and numbered road connectivity is identified as a public safety issue — but no emergency standard or minimum coverage requirement is established. A driver on a numbered highway with no cell signal in an emergency is still on their own after this Bill passes