Synopsis
The convergence of voice, internet and TV continues to bring Canadian telcos and broadcasting operators together as direct competitors in the emerging market for bundled services. Broadband and wireless revenues will underpin the sector’s revenue growth during the next few years, with the key drivers being wireless data and content as well as the steady growth in the broadband subscriber base. Wireless data revenue will be bolstered by the fast-expanding footprint of LTE and HSPA networks, which has been the focus of network operator investment for the last few years. Broadband penetration remains among the lowest in the OECD, though efforts from both the government and operators will address shortcomings and focus delivery of services on the fibre sector. This will lead to a slow contraction of the DSL subscriber base as customers are migrated to FttH networks. A stimulus for FttH expansion among telcos has come from cablecos whose upgraded networks now commonly offer up to 200Mb/s. This report provides a broad range of key statistical data on the major telecoms segments, together with an overview of each major sector, an analysis of market developments and an assessment of operator strategies.
Key developments:
Government proposes relaxation of foreign company ownership rules in telecom sector; regulator’s policy to migrate telcos to IP networks; company data to Q1 2012; regulator’s mid-2011 market data update; market developments into 2012.
Companies mentioned in this report include:
Bell Canada, Bell Aliant, TELUS, BOLDstreet Wireless, Tadaa Wireless, DoDo Wireless, Hotspotzz, Wayport, Boingo, FatPort, Rogers Communications, Craig Wireless System, Barrett Xplore, I-NetLink, Sasktel, Videotron, Cogeco, Shaw Communications.
