2017 Canada - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Canada preps for 600MHz spectrum auction

The Canadian telecom market continues to show steady growth as operators invest in network upgrades and consumers take-up more high-end services. This investment has been channelled into LTE infrastructure to capitalise of consumer demand for mobile data services. There has also been a concentration of investment in fixed-line infrastructure, focussed on FttP and, among cable broadband providers, upgrades to the DOCSIS3.1 standard. This is having the effect that the DSL segment is beginning to lose market share as customers are migrated to fibre.

At the same time, fixed-line telephony services are dwindling as customers make greater use of mobile networks and VoIP options. Revenue from the broadband and mobile sectors is underpinning overall telecom sector revenue while the fixed-voice sector continues to decline.

Canada’s mobile penetration remains comparatively low and so the market offers further room for growth. This is particularly the case with mobile broadband delivered over LTE networks, which effectively provides 99% population coverage. Services based on upgraded iterations including carrier aggregated LTE-A are increasingly widespread. Some operators, including Telus and Bell Wireless, have trialled pre-5G technologies with a view to launching commercial services by 2020.

The government has endeavoured to encourage market competition by ensuring that blocks of spectrum have been reserved for new entrants, while blocking deals which would have concentrated spectrum either regionally or nationally among the main network operators. An auction of 70MHz within the 600MHz band is anticipated in 2019, with 30MHz expected to be reserved for smaller operators with a low market share.

Canada has one of the highest broadband penetration rates among the OECD nations. Government policy has encouraged work to extend broadband availability to rural and regional areas, with the result that a basic service of at least 5Mb/s is almost universally available. Cable leads DSL in terms of subscriber numbers. Cablecos are beginning to upgrade their networks to the DOCSIS3.1 standard, which can deliver data at 1Gb/s and above. Fibre deployments are also gaining momentum, with a growing number of Gigabit towns now connected.

This report provides a broad range of key statistical data on the major telecom segments, including e-commerce and e-health developments as well as policies which support the progress of smart meter adoption and smart grids. It provides an overview of each major sector, an analysis of market developments and an assessment of operator strategies. The report also covers the fixed-line and fixed-wireless broadband markets, providing statistical overviews and an analysis on operator strategies. In addition the report assesses the market voice and data market, including recent developments in technologies and operator strategies.

Key developments:

• Regulator asserts commitment to network neutrality;
• Bell Wireless launches quad band LTE-A services offering peak data rates of up to 750Mb/s;
• Shaw rebrands Wind Mobile as Freedom Mobile;
• Government opens consultation on 600MHz auction, expected in 2019;
• Bell Wireless develops an LTE-M network to support IoT devices;
• SaskTel opens its first Tier 3 data centre;
• Vidéotron extends DOCSIS3.1 service;
• Bell Canada invests $854 million to deliver Gigabit fibre to Montreal;
• Report update includes the regulator’s market data for 2016, telcos’ financial and operating data to Q2 2017, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Bell Canada (Bell Aliant, Bell MTS, Bell Wireless), Telus Corporation (Telus Mobility), BOLDstreet Wireless, Tadaa Wireless, DoDo Wireless, Hotspotzz, Wayport, Boingo, FatPort, Rogers Communications (Rogers Wireless), Craig Wireless System, Barrett Xplore, I-NetLink, SaskTel (SaskTel Mobility), Vidéotron (Vidéotron Wireless), Shaw Communications, Virgin Mobile Canada, Freedom Mobile (Wind Mobile), Mobilicity, Public Mobile, Shaw Cablesystems, Cogeco Cable.