Canadian Industrial Outlook: Telecommunications—Spring 2018

Investment in All-Fibre Networks—All-fibre networks provide the necessary backhaul for future 5G applications, as they offer massive carrying capacity and faster, more reliable connections. Companies continue to upgrade their traditional copper cable networks to fibre optic networks to support accelerating demand for data and prepare for future 5G technologies.

Rising Internet Costs—Incumbent companies have raised their Internet costs in order to support network upgrades. However, growth in the industry has faced downward pressure due to cash-strapped consumers who are unwilling to increase their telecom budgets.

Competition Bureau’s Broadband Internet Services Study—In May, the Competition Bureau announced plans to conduct a market study on the competitive dynamics of Canada’s broadband Internet services industry, with a focus on services typically provided through wireline networks. The study’s goal is to better understand the effect resellers have had on industry competition.