The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Quebecor is defending itself against national wireless rivals over accusations that it stands to get a taxpayer handout in the next public auction of cellular airwaves. The Globe's Christine Dobby writes that Quebecor launched its wireless business in 2010 after buying spectrum in a public auction that included setting aside airwaves specifically for new entrants. Quebecor's Videotron now has 16 per cent of wireless subscribers in the province and, after wrapping up expensive investments in building an LTE network, the business now makes a healthy contribution to the telco division's free cash flow, which increased by almost $100-million in the first half of this year to $399.5-million. That success is why leaders from the three national carriers have publicly swiped at Ottawa's plan to reserve more than 40 per cent of the licences in a forthcoming auction of airwaves in the 600-megahertz frequency for bidding only by small carriers. The eligible carriers would include Videotron and Shaw's Freedom Mobile. Quebecor officials point out that the Big Three -- Rogers, BCE and Telus -- received government spectrum at no charge in the 1980s.