New entrants to the wireless mobile and Internet service sectors are growing their market share even as incumbents retain a strong hold on both areas, according to a report released by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
The commission’s 2014 Communications Monitoring Report address the state of the Canadian telecommunications industry and contains data that could be used when the CRTC initiates its hearing on wholesale mobile wireless services, said Jean-Pierre Blais, CRTC chairman.
More than 62 per cent of Canada’s population own a smart phone and 39 per cent use tablet devices in 2013 up from 2012 figures of 51 per cent for smart phone ownership and 26 per cent for tablets.
By contrast, the number of residential telephone lines dropped by six per cent, representing a decreased from 12 million lines in 2012 to 11.2 million in 2013. The revenues generated by the wireline voice communication industry also slipped to $10.6 billion, a 4.5 per cent decrease from 2012.
Access to fourth generation wireless networks of long term evolution (LTE) grew to 81 per cent in 2013 from 72 per cent the previous year. Access to wireless service networks in general was 99 per cent for both years.
While 90 per cent of wireless service subscribers were customers of Bell, Telus and Rogers, the CRTC that smaller players competing against Canada’s Big Three were making more money.
The report said market share in terms of revenue for new entrants rose from six per cent to eight per cent between 2012 and 2013.
Altogether, revenues generated by the wireless service industry grew to $21.2 billion, a 3.8 per cent increase over figures in 2012.
The revenues generated by the wireless service industry grew to $21.2
billion, a 3.8% increase over 2012.
The percentage of households subscribed to Internet services grew slightly from 79 per cent in 2012 to 80 per cent the following year. The percentage of subscribers with download speeds of five megabits per second or more increased by 5 per cent reaching 67 per cent (including satellite services) in 2013.
The average number of gigabytes downloaded per month by residential service subscribers increased by 57 per cent between 2012 and 2013, rising from 28.4 to 44.8 gigabytes.
The market share of small service providers competing with the three major providers increased as well, from nine per cent in 2012 to 10 per cent in 2013.
The revenues generated by the Internet service industry grew to $8.1 billion, a 7.1 increase increase over 2012.
Revenues generated by telecommunication service providers increased by two per cent, reaching $44.8 billion in 2013.
In 2013, telecommunication companies allocated $9.2 billion for the maintenance, improvement and expansion of networks.
