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BUILT FOR

CANADA

Wireless communications have become an integral part of Canadians’ lives. Whether to stay in touch with family and friends, consume content, or work while on the move, wireless communications have become indispensable for most Canadians.

This is no accident, as Canadians’ use of wireless communications has been fueled by some of Canada’s greatest innovators and most successful companies, whose efforts to deploy world-class wireless services across our vast nation have made Canada a leader in wireless and home to some of the most advanced wireless networks in the world.

Coverage

Canada’s wireless networks: Available to 99% of Canadians.

Despite having a population spread across vast regions and challenging geography, Canada’s wireless carriers have invested billions of dollars to meet Canadians growing consumption of wireless services and implement some of the world’s fastest and most reliable wireless networks, reaching every province and territory.

This means that the vast majority of Canadians can access wireless networks that employ the latest wireless technologies [1]. And because of the continuing investments made by Canada’s wireless industry, Canada’s wireless networks continue to expand their reach every year.

[1] As of 2017, advanced wireless networks, known as LTE or 4G networks, were available to 99%of Canadians. (CRTC, Communications Monitoring Report: Retail Mobile Sector, 2018, p. 3).

Investment

Canada’s Wireless Carriers invested $3 billion in 2018 to enhance speed and coverage.

To meet the growing demand of Canadians for wireless services, our Canadian-owned facilities-based operators – the operators that build and operate Canada’s wireless networks – continue to make massive investments in building and improving wireless networks in every region of Canada.

These investments total over $50 billion spent on building wireless network infrastructure between the years of 1987 and 2018, with over $13 billion invested over the last five years alone.[2]

In addition, our facilities-based operators have contributed over $17.6 billion in spectrum auction revenue to the Government of Canada between 1987- 2019 for the right to use select radio frequencies for mobile wireless communications.[3]

When compared to other countries, Canadian operators’ investments in telecommunications as percentage of revenue is 1st in the G7 and 4th of 36 OECD nations.[4]

And the need for investment by Canada’s wireless network operators is not slowing down. The next-generation of wireless technology, known as 5G or fifth-generation wireless, will revolutionize the way in which wireless communications can be used to work, play and interact. In order for Canada to maintain its leadership position in wireless, it is estimated that, between 2020 and 2026, Canada’s facilities-based wireless operators will have to spend $26 billion to begin the rollout of 5G infrastructure in Canada.[5]

5G Wireless networks in Canada will add 250,000 permanent jobs by 2026. Source: Accenture: Fuel for Innovation.

As Canada’s wireless industry prepares to introduce the next generation of wireless technologies, known as 5G or fifth generation wireless, the impact on Canada’s economy will be even greater. A recent report published by Accenture estimates that the rollout of 5G will result in an estimated 250,000 new permanent jobs by 2026.[6] These are on top of the estimated 154,000 temporary jobs that will be created from the building of 5G infrastructure from 2020 to 2026.[7] Accenture further estimates that the introduction of 5G wireless technologies will add an estimated $40 billion in annual GDP to the Canadian economy by 2026.[8]

By investing in Canada’s wireless future, Canada’s wireless industry will continue to deliver the innovation, economic growth and good, well-paying jobs that are the cornerstones of Canada’s digital and data-driven economy.

[2] Historical data from Nordicity, CRTC, the Canadian Telecommunications Association and BAML.
[3] Historical data from the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED).
[4] Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), The State of Competition in Canada’s Telecom Industry, 2018, p. 20.
[5] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, p. 16.
[6] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, 2018, p. 2.
[7] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, 2018, p. 3.
[8] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, 2018, p. 2.

Speed

Canadians enjoy the fastest average mobile download speed among the G7 and Australia, twice those of the US.

When it comes to performance, Canada’s wireless networks are the envy of most every other country. Study after study shows that Canadians benefit from some of the fastest average wireless download speeds, which means Canadians enjoy a superior experience when using their mobile devices to stream music, video and other content.

According to the May 2019 Speedtest Global Index, Canadian networks have over twice the download speeds as the global average, making Canada the fastest in the G7 and third among 140 countries.[9]

[9] Ookla, Speedtest Global Index, May 2019; Opensignal, The State of Mobile Network Experience, May 2019.

Jobs

The introduction of 5G networks in Canada will add 250,000 permanent jobs by 2026.

The wireless industry in Canada makes profound contributions to the economy and social fabric of the country. A study conducted by Nordicity found that in 2017, the Canadian wireless industry employed 151,550 people as a result of its activities and generated a total contribution of $27.5 billion in GDP to the Canadian economy.[10]

As Canada’s wireless industry prepares to introduce the next generation of wireless technologies, known as 5G or fifth-generation wireless, the impact on Canada’s economy will be even greater. A recent report published by Accenture estimates that the rollout of 5G will result in an estimated 250,000 new permanent jobs by 2026.[11] These are on top of the estimated 154,000 temporary jobs that will be created from the building of 5G infrastructure from 2020 to 2026.[12] Accenture further estimates that the introduction of 5G wireless technologies will add an estimated $40 billion in annual GDP to the Canadian economy by 2026.[13]

By investing in Canada’s wireless future, Canada’s wireless industry will continue to deliver the innovation, economic growth and good, well-paying jobs that are the cornerstones of Canada’s digital and data-driven economy.

[10] Nordicity, The Benefits of the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, 2017, pp. 8-9.
[11] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, 2018, p. 2.
[12] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, 2018, p. 3.
[13] Accenture, Fuel for Innovation: Canada’s Path in the Race to 5G, 2018, p. 2.

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