Communications Monitoring Report (2013)

January 22, 201422 January 2014

Issue

Digital technologies and the arts

Article Link

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/policyMonitoring/2013/cmr.htm

This report highlights key statistics on communications in Canada, based on a number of different sources. In 2012, Canadian households spent an average of $185 per month on communications services, including wireline, wireless, TV, and internet communications. Wireless is the most common service (44% of all connections), followed by TV (19%), wireline phones (also 19%), and internet services (18%).

The report indicates that Canadians in English-language markets have reduced their consumption of Canadian TV services, which now have an 86% share of viewing, down from 88% in 2009-10. In French-language markets, residents almost exclusively watch Canadian TV services (98.6% in 2011-12).

Regarding communications services in 2012:

• 86% of households subscribed to a cable or satellite television service.
• 78% subscribed to high-speed Internet service.
• 81% of Canadians subscribed to a wireless service. About one-half of these wireless communications (52%) were made using smartphones, tablets or other advanced handheld devices to communicate.
• Over 55% of Canadians read online news.
• Over 20% watched Internet TV on their landline or mobile devices.

The report notes that high-speed broadband internet service (minimum 5Mbps) is available to 94% of Canadian households.

The number of payphones continues to decline. Recently, the number of payphones decreased from 5.4 per 1,000 households in 2011 to 5.1 in 2012.

The report provides a profile of revenues in the communications sector. Total revenues were $60.7 billion in 2012, with five large companies accounting for 82% of total revenues (about $50 billion). Telecommunications services accounted for $43.9 billion in revenues, or 72% of the communications sector total. The other $16.8 billion in revenues went toward broadcasting services.