During this auction, the government of Canada licensed the rights to the 700 MHz radio spectrum to eight telecommunication companies.
[1] The Canadian government wished to "encourage more choice and lower prices in Canada's wireless sector" as a result of this auction.
[2] Beyond the public good, there was likely also a political motivation to raise government revenues without increasing taxes through transfer of a crown asset into private hands.
It is also able to travel longer distances, which reduces the need for more infrastructures such as base stations (including radio towers) for cellular networks.
[5] On February 25, 2014, The Globe and Mail reported that, according to sources, some rounds of bidding reached a total of over $7 billion.