This week's feature focuses on the Canadian telecom market.

A number of regulatory changes instituted in 2007 will help make the Canadian market more competitive, as broadband and wireless drive growth, according to the TIA 2008 Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast recently released by the association. Deregulation of local landline pricing and elimination of win-back rules, which prevented incumbent carriers from luring lost customers from competitors, will boost competition, TIA concludes in the 400-page book. The report covers wireless, wireline, equipment and international markets with more than 450 figures and tables, as well as extensive commentary.

Some highlights of the Canadian market:

• Broadband overtook dial-up in 2002, the earliest in any region, and has grown at annual double-digit rates, including 12 percent in 2007.
  
  
• For 2008–2011 as a whole, broadband subscriptions will grow at an 8.7 percent compound annual rate to 12 million in 2011 from 8.6 million in 2007.
  
  
• The dial-up subscriber base has been declining at double-digit rates since 2003 as Internet subscribers have switched from dial-up to broadband.
  
  
• Canada has the highest ratio of landlines to wirelines of any region in the world.
  
  
• TIA expects continued double-digit growth in wireless subscribers through 2010, with growth dropping to 8.6 percent in 2011.
  
  
• Canada’s wireless moved past landlines only in 2007, making it the last region to do so.
  
  
• The total number of telephone connections will increase from 41.4 million in 2007 to 50.5 million in 2011, growing 5.1 percent compounded annually.

< Back to Top >