Cautionary Lessons from Canada's Spectrum Policy: Canada's Pursuit of Wireless Competition through Exclusionary Auction Rules

As the FCC prepares for the upcoming broadcast spectrum incentive auction, a look north to Canada’s auction experiences provides valuable insight on how to craft U.S. spectrum auctions to promote competition and innovation in the wireless market. On Friday, October 16th, Canadian telecommunications law and policy expert Paul Beaudry joined Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Harold Furchtgott-Roth for a discussion on Canada’s attempts to promote wireless competition through exclusionary spectrum auction rules.

Paul Beaudry is an associate in the Ottawa office of Stikeman Elliott LLP, where he practices competition law and advises clients on telecommunications law and policy matters. Formerly a senior policy advisor to the Canadian Minister of Industry, Mr. Beaudry contributed to landmark government decisions that modernized Canada’s telecommunications regulatory framework and accelerated the deregulation of local telephony. Mr. Beaudry is also a research associate at the Montreal Economic Institute, a pro-market think tank. He holds a law degree from the Université de Montréal.