Petroc Taylor
Research expert covering global developments in the use of data
Telecoms in Canada - statistics & facts
Canada is home to a well-developed telecommunications market, with various national and regional operators providing vital communications services to the country’s 40 million inhabitants. The industry serviced over 35 million cellular subscriptions and over 16 million fixed broadband subscriptions as of 2022, fueling total annual telecommunications services revenue of over 57 billion Canadian dollars. Major mergers and acquisitions have shifted the telecoms landscape in recent years, with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) acting as an influential market regulator.
Rogers completes landmark merger with Shaw
Bell Canada remains the largest telecommunications company in Canada by revenue, generating almost 25 billion Canadian dollars in 2023. Bell’s key competitors at the national level are Rogers Communications and Telus Corporation, while operators such as Quebec based Quebecor compete at a regional level. Shaw Communications operated as a key national player up until its acquisition by Rogers in a major deal completed in April 2023. As part of this landmark acquisition, Rogers was required by the CRTC to divest Shaw’s wireless provider Freedom Mobile, which was subsequently sold to Quebecor.5G is set to surpass 4G in the coming years
The wireless sector accounts for slightly over half of Canada’s total telecommunications revenue, and is tightly contested between Bell, Rogers, and Telus. Rogers has maintained a slight advantage in the retail mobile market, accounting for almost a third of total revenue generated in 2022, though this lead has narrowed in recent years. As in developed markets across the globe, a core focus has been the expansion of 5G networks, with 5G set to account for 95 percent of all mobile connections by 2030 in the North American country, up from less than 20 percent in 2022.The CRTC seeks to bridge the digital divide in fixed internet
An increasing number of fixed broadband connections enabled total wireline revenue to reach over 26 billion Canadian dollars in 2022. However, the CRTC has recognized a regional divide in high-speed coverage. In 2022, around 67 percent of households in rural areas had access to unlimited broadband internet with a download speed at least 50Mpbs, with this figure dropping to around 50 percent in First Nations Reserve areas. This was compared to a national figure of over 93 percent. Remedying this digital divide will be a key industry concern over the coming years, with The CRTC having set a target of 2031 for all Canadian households to have access to a high-speed connection.
