“Internet is an essential service that’s integral to the lives of nearly all Canadians. COVID-19 had highlighted the importance of affordable access to unlimited home internet, a service that most consumers report is crucial to maintaining their lifestyle. In recent years, the government has made great strides towards its goal of 100% access to high-speed internet among all Canadian citizens when we get home.
On the mobile front, Canadians are adopting 5G at a rapid pace. Faster and stronger mobile networks open up stronger capabilities for consumers to do things like game, download large files, or stream on mobile devices, as well as set-up and utilize stronger hotspots.”
– Michael Lloy, Senior Tech & Media Analyst
This report discusses the following key topics:
- What internet-connected devices are people utilizing?
- How extensive is 5G adoption?
- What mobile network providers and ISPs are people utilizing and what might motivate them to switch?
- What activities are consumers doing online and how do these inform what types of internet service and access levels that they need?
- How are consumers engaging with mobile hotspots and Wi-Fi while out in public?
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Consumer trends
- The pandemic has changed usage habits and needs
- Figure 1: Attitudes towards unlimited internet (% agree), 2023
- Consumers still aren’t up-to-speed on internet speeds
- Network security is a growing concern for consumers
- Competitive strategies
- TELUS’s Tech for Good program ensures connectivity is accessible for everybody
- Figure 2: TELUS Facebook ad, 2023
- Internet access is expanding across Canada
- Figure 3: TELUS Facebook ad, 2023
- Canadians can look southward for a glimpse into the future
- Figure 4: AT&T TikTok post, 2022
- Market Predictions
- A healthy economy remains distant as transportation costs rise
- Household savings declined precipitously in Q1 2023
- Wi-Fi 7 and 6G
- Figure 5: Category outlook for accessing the internet, 2023-28
- Opportunities
- Brands need to convince consumers how faster internet benefits them
- Either flanker brands need more flexibility or larger brands need to be more affordable
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Market Factors
- The inflation deceleration process has halted as prices rise more swiftly
- A healthy economy remains distant as transportation costs rise
- Figure 6: Canadian Consumer Price Index, 2020-23
- Household savings declined precipitously in Q1 2023
- Figure 7: Canadian household savings rate, Q1 2019-Q1 2023
- Canada’s aging population will likely put pressure on younger Canadians
- Figure 8: Canadian population age projections, yearly, 2000-40
- Diversity among future generations is projected to increase
- Figure 9: Proportion of visible minority in Canada, 1981-2040
- The inflation deceleration process has halted as prices rise more swiftly
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Competitive Strategies
- TELUS’s Tech for Good program ensures connectivity is accessible for everybody
- Figure 10: TELUS Facebook ad, 2023
- Internet access is expanding across Canada
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- Figure 11: TELUS Facebook ad, 2023
- Canadians can look southward for a glimpse into the future
- Figure 12: AT&T TikTok post, 2022
- Figure 13: TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 Product Launch Event, 2022
- Data security is top of mind for consumers
- Figure 14: Turn on Advanced Security for Rogers Ignite Internet Using the Ignite Wi-Fi Hub App, 2022
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- Figure 15: TELUS Online Security with Coach Katie: App set up, 2023
- Figure 16: Bell Canada password Facebook post, 2023
- TELUS’s Tech for Good program ensures connectivity is accessible for everybody
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Fast Facts: Accessing the Internet
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Device Usage
- Mobile devices are most commonly used to access the internet
- Figure 17: Internet-connected devices used in the past 12 months, 2023
- Age is a determining factor in device usage
- Figure 18: Internet-connected devices used in the past 12 months, by age, 2023
- Canada’s minority demographics have slightly different device access patterns
- Figure 19: Internet-connected devices used in the past 12 months (select), by race, 2023
- Newer Canadians are not using streaming devices
- Figure 20: Internet-connected devices used in the past 12 months (select), newer Canadians vs overall, 2023
- Mobile devices are most commonly used to access the internet
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Home Internet Providers
- Bell is Canada’s top home internet provider
- Figure 21: Home internet providers, 2023
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- Figure 22: Home internet providers, by region, 2023
- Younger, lower income and newer Canadian consumers use Fido
- A variety of cost-saving measures would entice consumers to switch ISPs
- Figure 23: ISP switching motivations other than price, 2023
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- Figure 24: TELUS TikTok ad, 2022
- Bell is Canada’s top home internet provider
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Mobile Network Providers
- 5G usage has increased significantly since mid 2022
- Figure 25: 5G activity, 2022 vs 2023
- More consumers are more unsure of what 5G is than they let on
- Figure 26: I am aware that the 5G connection option on some Wi-Fi networks is different from 5G mobile networks (% agree), 2023
- Consumers are more open-minded about their mobile providers
- Figure 27: Mobile network providers, 2023
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- Figure 28: TELUS Instagram post, 2022
- Mobile network subscriptions also see different activity by region
- Figure 29: Mobile network providers, by region, 2023
- Younger consumers are driving flanker brand usage
- Figure 30: Mobile flanker brands, by age, 2023
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- Figure 31: Lucky Mobile Instagram ad, January 2022
- Fido is the top mobile brand for newer Canadians
- Figure 32: Mobile flanker brands, newer Canadians vs overall, 2023
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- Figure 33: Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund – Moksha Canada Foundation, 2022
- Wireless consumers most interested in incentives and bundles
- Figure 34: TELUS | Introducing Stream+, 2022
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- Figure 35: Motivations to switch mobile network providers, 2023
- 5G usage has increased significantly since mid 2022
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Online Activities
- Most consumers are accessing the internet for work and communication
- Figure 36: Online activities typically participated in, 2023
- Older consumers engage in activities that need less data
- Figure 37: Online activities typically participated in, by age, 2023
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- Figure 38: Bell Instagram post, 2023
- Figure 39: Bell Twitter post, 2023
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- Figure 40: TELUS Facebook post, 2022
- Lower income Canadians still participate in high usage online activities
- Figure 41: Online activities typically participated in, by household income, 2023
- Over the course of the pandemic, unlimited home internet has become a necessity
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- Figure 42: Attitudes towards data and the internet (% agree), 2023
- Younger consumers were significantly more likely to report needing unlimited internet
- Figure 43: Attitudes towards data and the internet (% agree), by age, 2023
- South Asian consumers place higher value on mobile data for their lifestyles
- Figure 44: Unlimited data attitudes (% agree), Chinese and South Asian consumers vs overall, 2023
- Consumers frequently engage in high-usage mobile activities and utilize data-tracking tools
- Figure 45: Frequency of online activities (select), 2023
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- Figure 46: TELUS | Keeping your devices safe: downloading and installing apps, June 2022
- Younger consumers are more likely to stream mobile video and download large files
- Figure 47: Mobile usage activities (net any frequency), by age, 2023
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- Figure 48: Bell Instagram post, February 2022
- Most consumers are accessing the internet for work and communication
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Wi-Fi Versus Hotspots
- When on-the-go, public Wi-Fi usage surpasses hotspots
- Figure 49: Wi-Fi and hotspot usage, 2023
- Younger consumers are more avid hotspot users
- Figure 50: Wi-Fi and hotspot usage (net any frequency), by age, 2023
- Men are looking for wider network coverage at home
- Figure 51: Using a wireless hotspot at home (net any frequency), by age and gender, 2023
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- Figure 52: Utilize mesh or Wi-Fi extension devices (net any frequency), by age and gender, 2023
- Most Canadians agree extenders are effective, but can be frustrating to set up
- Figure 53: Wi-Fi attitudes (% agree), 2023
- Older and younger consumers both find smart home device set-up frustrating
- Figure 54: Setting up and connecting new smart devices to home networks is frustrating (% agree), by age and gender, 2023
- Consumers are starting to recognize the benefits of mobile hotspots
- Figure 55: Hotspot attitudes (% agree), 2023
- Younger men are more security-conscious when it comes to hotspot usage
- Figure 56: I use mobile hotspots over public Wi-Fi for security reasons (% agree), by age and gender, 2023
- Minority consumers are significantly more concerned with security than Canadians overall
- Figure 57: I use mobile hotspots over public Wi-Fi for security reasons (% agree), by race, 2023
- When on-the-go, public Wi-Fi usage surpasses hotspots
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Mintel Trend Drivers
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Data sources
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