The Toronto Star reports that Bell has written to Industry Canada asking for a "spectrum fee holiday" that would suspend the millions of dollars the company pays in licensing fees for wireless spectrum. Bell said it was "too early to say what impact a change in government policy would have on Bell's customers but noted there hasn't been a direct link between the company's $8.95 wireless system access fee and federal spectrum licensing fees for years."
Bell Calls for “Spectrum Fee Holiday”
June 12, 2009
Share this post
4 Comments

Law Bytes
Episode 273: Rebroadcast of the Globe and Mail’s The Decibel on Canada’s First Steps Towards a Social Media Ban
byMichael Geist

June 22, 2026
Michael Geist
May 25, 2026
Michael Geist
Search Results placeholder
Michael Geist on Substack
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 273: Rebroadcast of the Globe and Mail’s The Decibel on Canada’s First Steps Towards a Social Media Ban
Midnight Madness: The Government Rushes Lawful Access Bill Through the House Without Debate or a Recorded Vote
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Bill C-36 Modernizes Canada’s Privacy Law, Then Delays It to 2030
Gary Anandasangaree’s Vic Toews Moment Shows the Government Has Lost Its Way on Lawful Access
Government Moves to Shut Down Lawful Access Hearing In Order To Fast Track Passing the Bill This Week

An interesting point
in the article is that what the wireless industry apparently collects from the SAF is 10 to 12 times what is paid to the government in spectrum fees. So, assuming that they passed on the savings, expect the SAF to go down to about $7.95.
When do consumers get a “nickel and dime fee” holiday from Bell, Telus and Rogers?
and were still traffic shaped why then
where is the so called investment at the back end to give canadians more bandwidth?
giving shareholders more cash wont solve issues and in time people will just say WHAT i can only download one movie? legal or otherwise wont do it and there goes 300-500 mill a month to bell.
note the size of a HD film is 30-40GB 50-75% of one month with bell canada…ALL for the amazing low price of 55-75$ and then you pay for the movie.
Technology making it cheaper and fattening bells pockets