The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Canada's spectrum regulator has introduced a new fee framework for the telcos, lowering licence costs for some and raising them for others. The Globe's Irene Galea writes that on March 7, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) updated the rates that telecom players pay to license certain cellular mobile spectrum for the first time in more than two decades. The new fee structure takes effect in the 2026-27 financial year. For some telcos, particularly small competitors, the new fee framework will lower costs substantially. For others, including Rogers and BCE, it will mean a sharp jump in fees in the years to come that may be passed onto consumers. It is the latest area of division for the industry, where large players, small competitors and the regulator clash over the best way to balance costs, competition and consumer prices. The new system is similar to a marginal tax rate system, based on the total amount of spectrum owned by a company. In submissions as part of ISED's consultation, Rogers calculated that the industry will pay about $265-million in total in its first year under the new framework compared with $228-million under the old model.