Hon. Marty Klyne: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader. Senator Gold, from Treaty 4 territory and homeland of the Métis Nation, I’d like to follow up on a recent question from Senator Black. He asked if the government will cap purchase by individual carriers at the upcoming spectrum auction to complement the “use it or lose it” approach that is referenced in the mandate letter of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

We must remember that spectrum is a public resource and that the needs of Canadians, not corporations, must be met when spectrum is purchased at auction. If an internet service provider buys spectrum but fails to utilize it and instead simply stockpiles or resells that spectrum at a massive profit, that does nothing to provide better and more affordable internet service to Canadians who are being underserved. Many internet service providers have done this time and again, and the fact that these private companies can make enormous profit on the sale of a subsidized public asset is something we can no longer tolerate.

In some areas of Saskatchewan and across Canada, internet access is woefully inadequate, particularly in rural and remote Indigenous communities. However, the Universal Broadband Fund and innovations like Starlink satellites provide some cause for optimism.

Senator Gold, can the government commit to ensuring that any auctioned spectrum will be used by internet service providers to provide more equitable and cost-effective access to high-speed broadband internet for Canadians who live in underserved markets?

Also, will the government ensure that any funding taken from the Universal Broadband Fund will be used to subsidize or upgrade internet and Wi-Fi infrastructure in underserved markets so all Canadians can participate in the new economy at the CRTC standard of 50 megabytes per second download and 10 megabytes per second upload speeds?