Thank you for the question.
I'll take the first part, and then I will turn to my colleague to answer the broader question.
With respect to the way that we would operationalize the bill, we would basically instigate a consultation on the spectrum policy framework, and we would look to make changes to include rural connectivity as one of its objectives, for sure.
Right now, it is a broad framework. It is the overarching policy. Like I said, the overarching objective is to maximize benefits for Canadians. Within that, you have a number of enabling guidelines. You have a guideline that says that you should rely on market forces to the extent possible. Notwithstanding that, spectrum policy needs to take into account national sovereignty. It needs to take into account public safety. It needs to take into account security. Spectrum should be released as quickly as you're able to do so. Spectrum licensing should be flexible so that spectrum can be used and shared for a variety of purposes. Those are all enabling guidelines. Obviously, connectivity would be a key piece of that as well.
Then what we would do when we are releasing spectrum, whether we're consulting on a framework for a spectrum auction or whether we're putting in place something like our local licensing framework, where there's a system online and you can just go punch a button and get a spectrum licence in a given area, is ask, when designing those frameworks, how we take connectivity into account. Given that it's one of the objectives in our framework that we need to figure out, how do we build it into this framework? How do we balance it against objectives related to competition investment? All of that will be subject to public consultation, and all of it will depend on the nature of the spectrum in question. It will depend on whether it's being used for Internet connectivity, whether it's intended to be used primarily as commercial mobile spectrum or whether it's for something else.
There are a variety of spectrum bands that have very little to do with public connectivity. They're used for military purposes, they're used for ship to shore or they're used for garage door openers. There are a lot of things that fall within the ambit of spectrum policy and under this framework that are not necessarily specifically related to public connectivity. That is the first thing I'd say.
The second thing I would say is that having that in spectrum policy is clearly very important. Spectrum policy is one piece of the overall connectivity puzzle. There are always going to be situations where it may not be economic to build in a particular area regardless of the conditions you put on a spectrum licence. If you're looking at building a tower along a rural highway, there may be no power there. There are going to be a variety of things that need to happen in order to ensure that once you've identified a coverage gap, you have spectrum policy in place that supports connectivity. If there are other things that are required to ensure that the neighbourhood or road gets connected as it relates to funding and anything else required in terms of capacity, it may require a broader government solution than simply a spectrum licence.
I'll turn to my colleague on that.