The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition the federal government will announce new measures today aimed at reducing the cost of Internet and television services in rural communities. The Globe's Christine Dobby writes Ottawa plans to lower the regulatory fees companies pay for licences to secure access to satellite spectrum. It expects the changes will save operators of satellite-based communications services $5-million a year, which the government hopes will be passed on to consumers. The Conservative government has structured several elements of its consumer-friendly telecom policy to benefit residents and voters in rural areas. In November, 2013, Industry Canada finished a review of how operators gain access to satellite spectrum and made changes to make the process quicker and more predictable, such as implementing a first-come, first-serve rule. It also proposed changes to the fee structure used to grant access to the airwaves and separated the fee review from the broader licensing decision. During the consultation process in 2012, Xplornet Communications, Canada's largest rural Internet provider, said Canada should lower its fee structure and bring it in line with U.S. or British models.