Petroc Taylor
Research expert covering global developments in the use of data
Get in touch with us nowRogers completes landmark merger with Shaw
Bell Canada remains the largest telecommunications company in Canada by revenue, generating 6.07 billion Canadian dollars in the second quarter of 2023. Bell’s key competitors at the national level are Rogers Communications and Telus Corporation, which recorded revenues of 5.05 and 1.4 billion Canadian dollars in the second quarter of 2023, respectively, while operators such as 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 the 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 narrow advantage in the retail mobile market, accounting for around a third of the market up to 2021, while Telus has held a slight edge in mobile subscriptions. As in developed markets across the globe, a core focus has been the expansion of 5G networks, with 5G set to account for 62 percent of all mobile connections by 2025, up from just 7 percent in 2021.The CRTC seeks to bridge the digital divide in fixed internet
An increasing number of fixed broadband connections enabled total wireline revenues to surpass 26 billion Canadian dollars in 2021. However, the CRTC has recognized a regional divide in high-speed coverage. In 2021, 62 percent of households in rural areas had access to unlimited broadband internet with a download speed at least 50Mpbs, with this figure dropping to just 43.3 percent in First Nations Reserve areas. This was compared to a national figure of 91.4 percent. The CRTC has set a target of 2031 for all Canadian households to have access to a high-speed connection.
