Canada moves to collect Big Data
Before the federal government auctions off more airwaves to enable Canadians’ ravenous appetites for smartphone data, it plans to analyze exactly how, when and where people use the wireless spectrum that’s already available.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development ( ISED) Minister Navdeep Bains announced Monday the opening of the Big Data Analytics Centre at the Communications Research Centre in Ottawa, where researchers will analyze whether the country could more efficiently use its spectrum, the radio waves required for broadcasting and wireless communications.
“We can’t make more wireless spectrum, but we can make better use of it,” Bains said in a statement. “We need to know, in real time, where there are unused radio waves that could be put to work. Big data is the key to understanding that.”
Researchers will use the data to explore ways to enable 5G networks, connected cars and the Internet of Things — all technologies with vast data needs. The data, collected with real-time sensors from Waterloo, Ont.based Cognitive Systems, will be available to telecoms, academia and the public, although ISED won’t say when.
“This technology is still at an early stage of development and will need time to be validated. Until the technology is fully validated and implemented, it would not be appropriate to share any data,” ISED stated in an email.
The Conservatives contributed $ 900,000 for the centre in 2014-2015. The centre addresses a long- standing demand for spectrum usage data from academics.
For decades, Canada has made spectrum policy decisions based on data provided by parties with a large financial interest – namely, the big wireless carriers, said Greg- ory Taylor, principal investigator for Canadian Spectrum Policy Research and a professor at the University of Calgary. The common refrain has been they’re running out of spectrum, Taylor said.
“It’s largely been an article of faith among policy- makers but we’ve never seen the hard data,” he said. “This should’ve come in the early ’90s, but we’ll file this under better late than never.”
In order to maximize the efficiency of spectrum use, he said clear measurements are needed to see what’s in use and what isn’t. Taylor took measurements at the bustling intersection of Yonge and Dundas in Toronto to find answers himself for a project.
“The project was undertaken largely in response to the lack of information available on the current use of publicly-owned frequencies,” he noted, adding government data is needed to verify whether Canada has a spectrum capacity problem.
To address expected capacity issues, Canada is planning to auction off its 600 MHZ spectrum, though ISED said last month an auction is at least two years away.
Barclays analyst Phillip Huang wrote in a note to clients Monday the industry is “not eager” for the auction to happen earlier.
“We believe the Big Three would prefer to have a later 600 MHz auction (e.g. in late 2019 or even 2020) because they currently all ( except Shaw) have plenty of spectrum capacity and would prefer to prioritize other investments,” Huang wrote.
For their part, Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. welcomed the research centre. ( BCE Inc. declined to comment.)
“We welcome all research on i mproving the use of spectrum and wireless networks,” a Rogers stated.
“Telus supports ISED’s research efforts and recognizes their potential benefit to our customers. We continue to explore innovative technology enablers aligned with this government initiative,” Telus stated.