Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Mar 12, 2026
Progress
This bill requires the CRTC to verify mobile coverage data accuracy and mandates regular reviews of Canada's Spectrum Policy Framework.
Key Changes
- Requires the CRTC to establish a process within 6 months to verify the accuracy of mobile network coverage data submitted by Canadian carriers
- Requires the Minister of Industry to conduct a comprehensive review of the Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada within 18 months
- Mandates broad consultations with telecom providers, rural and Indigenous communities, public safety agencies, and researchers as part of the review
- Requires the review report to be tabled in Parliament and published on the Department of Industry website within 30 days
- Establishes a recurring five-year review cycle for the Framework going forward
- Directs the Minister to prioritize rural, remote, and numbered road connectivity when recommending changes to the Framework
Gotchas
- The bill does not directly require carriers to improve coverage — it only requires a review and updated framework, meaning actual connectivity improvements depend on future policy decisions
- The CRTC's new data verification process must be created within 6 months, but the bill does not specify what penalties or consequences apply if carriers submit inaccurate coverage data
- The bill explicitly states that nothing in Section 2 limits the CRTC's existing powers, preserving the regulator's broader authority
- The five-year review cycle creates ongoing accountability, but the bill does not require the Minister to implement any specific changes — only to report on them
- The Framework was last updated in 2007, meaning any new version would reflect nearly two decades of technological and market changes, potentially resulting in significant policy shifts
Who's Affected
- Residents of rural, remote, and Indigenous communities with poor cellular coverage
- Canadian wireless carriers and spectrum licence holders
- The CRTC, which must build a new data verification process
- The Minister of Industry and the Department of Industry
- Public safety agencies and first responders who rely on cellular networks
- Travellers on numbered highways with limited cellular service
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill does not directly require carriers to improve coverage — it only requires a review and updated framework, meaning actual connectivity improvements depend on future policy decisions
- The CRTC's new data verification process must be created within 6 months, but the bill does not specify what penalties or consequences apply if carriers submit inaccurate coverage data
- The bill explicitly states that nothing in Section 2 limits the CRTC's existing powers, preserving the regulator's broader authority
- The five-year review cycle creates ongoing accountability, but the bill does not require the Minister to implement any specific changes — only to report on them
- The Framework was last updated in 2007, meaning any new version would reflect nearly two decades of technological and market changes, potentially resulting in significant policy shifts
Summary
Bill C-268 addresses two main issues with Canada's wireless telecommunications system. First, it requires the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to create a process — within six months of the bill passing — to verify that the mobile network coverage data submitted by Canadian carriers is actually accurate. This matters because carriers self-report where their networks reach, and inaccurate data can hide gaps in service. Second, the bill requires the Minister of Industry to conduct a full review of the Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada within 18 months. The Framework, which guides how wireless spectrum (the airwaves used for cellular service) is managed and licensed, has not been updated since 2007. The review must include consultations with telecom companies, rural and Indigenous communities, public safety agencies, researchers, and the CRTC. The bill was introduced because many rural, remote, and Indigenous communities — as well as long stretches of numbered highways — still have poor or no cellular service, raising public safety concerns. The bill's preamble notes that competition and market forces alone have not solved these connectivity gaps, and that the existing rules tied to spectrum licences have been insufficient.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses