Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Mar 12, 2026
Progress
This bill requires the CRTC to verify carrier coverage data 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 including rural municipalities, Indigenous communities, public safety agencies, and telecom researchers
- Requires the review report to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament and published online within 30 days
- Creates a recurring 5-year review cycle for the Framework going forward
- Directs the Minister to prioritize connectivity in rural, remote, and numbered-road areas when recommending changes to the Framework
Gotchas
- The bill does not directly force carriers to improve coverage — it only requires reviews and data verification, leaving actual policy changes to the Minister's discretion
- A clarification clause ensures the CRTC's existing powers are not limited by the new data verification requirement
- The bill's preamble explicitly states that competition and market forces have been insufficient to ensure connectivity, which frames the policy direction but does not create binding obligations beyond reporting
- The 5-year review cycle creates ongoing accountability, but the bill does not specify consequences if the Minister fails to meet deadlines
- Verified coverage data from the CRTC process must be used in the Minister's Framework review, linking the two provisions together
Who's Affected
- Residents of rural, remote, and Indigenous communities with poor cellular coverage
- Canadian telecom carriers and spectrum licence holders (e.g., Bell, Rogers, Telus)
- Public safety agencies and first responders who rely on cellular networks
- The CRTC, which must build a new data verification process
- The Minister of Industry and Department of Industry, who must conduct and publish reviews
- Travellers and workers along numbered highways with limited connectivity
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill does not directly force carriers to improve coverage — it only requires reviews and data verification, leaving actual policy changes to the Minister's discretion
- A clarification clause ensures the CRTC's existing powers are not limited by the new data verification requirement
- The bill's preamble explicitly states that competition and market forces have been insufficient to ensure connectivity, which frames the policy direction but does not create binding obligations beyond reporting
- The 5-year review cycle creates ongoing accountability, but the bill does not specify consequences if the Minister fails to meet deadlines
- Verified coverage data from the CRTC process must be used in the Minister's Framework review, linking the two provisions together
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 set up a process — within six months of the bill passing — to verify that the mobile network coverage data submitted by telecom companies 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 radio spectrum is managed and licensed in Canada, 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, and must result in a report tabled in Parliament. 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. The bill's preamble notes that competition and market forces alone have not been enough to fix these gaps, and that the existing rules tied to spectrum licences have not resolved the problem either.
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Vibes
0 responses