This is a partner message from TELUS.

Getting Canada’s wireless policy right means maximizing spectrum to revolutionize 5G networks across the country. Poor spectrum policies in the past led to digital divides among urban and rural Canadians, leaving many without reliable wireless connectivity. With 5G capabilities arriving in Canada, there’s a way forward that ensures that available spectrum is put to work to connect communities big or small.

Communities with access to high speed networks will see new economic potential, better access to education and healthcare, and increased appeal for new citizens and businesses. Thanks to recent innovations from wireless connectivity and technology, those with optimal connectivity accelerated the adoption of innovative solutions in mobile health delivery, augmented reality, remote work, and smart manufacturing. If previous generations, like 4G, brought Canadians the wonders of mobile health, virtual communities, ride sharing, and hybrid learning, imagine what maximizing 5G innovation and connectivity could bring.

There’s an immense potential for 5G connectivity to help small and medium businesses connect more deeply with customers as the economy recovers from the pandemic. Just as cloud services — offering new ways for business teams to connect, collaborate, and improve productivity — are now becoming widely available, 5G will allow smaller organizations to operate at greater speeds and connect more effortlessly and meaningfully with customers.

5G will also generate new businesses, and create entirely new industries and employment opportunities, many of which we can’t yet imagine. On a broader scale, connected devices powered by 5G will allow city and county planners and local governments to make smarter decisions around how cities operate — improving public safety, reducing fuel emissions, and streamlining costly processes as sensor technology and Internet of Things are more widely adopted. Smart City technologies are beginning to roll out across the country, but the possibilities for benefits to society are only just beginning to be realized as the limits of the current generation of mobile technology are reached.

5G will touch nearly every aspect of our daily lives, from advertising to agriculture, education to energy, entertainment to healthcare, the remote edge to remote work, and so much more. And just as 3G and 4G led to the creation of an entirely new mobile app industry, 5G will do the same, creating new opportunities and growing the mobile economy.

Now imagine what 5G can do for smaller, rural, and Indigenous communities if we extend that access to all Canadians from coast to coast to coast. As networks expand and a new spectrum is introduced, Canadians will experience emerging 5G capabilities — empowering smaller and rural communities to be healthier, more connected, and more resilient. Over the next five years, Canadians could potentially see a truly remarkable evolution in tech adoption of 5G as network infrastructure expands in cities and smaller communities across Canada.

As 5G evolves and becomes more sophisticated, 5G technologies will become mainstream. While the benefits of 5G are available to many people right now, network operators will start offering new enterprise and consumer services that leverage all that 5G has to offer. Critical is the speed, capacity, and responsiveness of 5G, which has the power to change our world forever — and for the good.

With 5G, each innovation will inspire another, fundamentally changing how both people and businesses use technology to drive connection, and contribute to a better, more equal and more connected society.

To unlock the future of 5G innovation, Canada needs policies in place that allow every single Canadian to seize these opportunities. One such policy that maximizes spectrum is the “use it or lose it” policy. With this policy, carriers who buy wireless spectrum are mandated to use it. If they don’t, the government takes back the licenses and gives it to a carrier who will. Discouraging spectrum-hoarding ensures that carriers in every market have access to enough spectrum to launch 5G networks, both for mobile services and wireless broadband, to connect communities faster with better quality services.

To work correctly, “use it or lose it” must be applied across the board equally —  all carriers who own spectrum, and in rural and urban settings alike to ensure that wireless spectrum will be put to work connecting Canadians to what matters most. Fortunately, wireless policies that support connectivity for all Canadians are on the table right now. With the upcoming spectrum auction, the government is making a decision on how to use the 3800Mhz spectrum, and it can apply “use it or lose it” immediately so that carriers who buy spectrum are mandated to use it, or risk having their airwaves taken away.

Communities with access to high-speed networks realize better social outcomes, including more robust economies, better access to education and healthcare, and the digital economy. Connectivity matters now more than ever before. It’s time to make 5G technologies and innovation available for all Canadians.

Learn more at TELUS.com/Get5GRight.