Canada’s home ISP market, though mature and dominated by Bell, Rogers and TELUS, is experiencing notable unrest beneath the surface. Residential data usage continues to surge, with average monthly consumption reaching an astonishing 516 GB in Q4 2024 – driven by streaming, remote work and connected devices. While high-speed broadband is now accessible to over 95% of households, financial strain and shifting consumer preferences are pressuring providers to adapt quickly.
A pivotal industry shift arrived with the CRTC’s decision for mandated nationwide wholesale access to major fibre networks, rolled out in February 2025. By obligating incumbents to open their fibre infrastructure to competitors, the CRTC aims to foster competition, greater service variety and potentially lower prices. This move threatens to erode the pricing power of dominant providers, prompting the entire sector to re-evaluate its strategies for retaining and attracting customers.
The biggest growth opportunity lies in crafting budget-friendly, flexible bundles tailored to newcomers and younger Canadians, who increasingly favour mobility and cost control. However, ISPs face a mounting threat: rising dissatisfaction and intense willingness to switch, as 62% of consumers now say they would consider changing providers if more options were available. Brands must rapidly evolve offerings to capitalize on demand while confronting fickle loyalty in a highly competitive landscape.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Fibre-to-the-home rollout accelerates while Big Three providers – Bell, Rogers, TELUS – continue to control three quarters of all high-speed market share.
- New CRTC wholesale-access mandate launches nationwide in February 2025, opening major fibre networks to smaller ISPs and reshaping competition.
- Affordability remains a top barrier: 60% of Canadians cite price as the main obstacle to bundling; consumer complaints surged 43% year-over-year.
- Bundled services drive retention among older, higher-income users but adoption sharply drops for Gen Z and new Canadians due to cost concerns.
- Advancements in 5G fixed wireless, millimetre-wave spectrum and subsidized satellite expand rural coverage and challenge traditional broadband.
- Significant demographic divides: Black, South Asian and high-income users prioritize fast speeds; lower-income and newcomer households rely on wireless hotspots.
- Brands respond with loyalty programs like TELUS Rewards, “no contract” messaging and aggressive fastest-speed marketing amid rising consumer churn.
Facing rising dissatisfactions, affordability hurdles and cutthroat competition, Canada’s ISP market may see many consumers ready to switch in the near future.
Michael Lloy, Research Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
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THE MARKET
- Market context
- Canada’s internet market in 2024: growth, competition and rising consumer complaints
- Market drivers
- Costs remain elevated for Canadians
- Graph 1: consumer price index, 2025
- CPI slows to 1.7% in July as gasoline prices plummet, but shelter and food costs continue to rise
- The telecom industry faces challenges as Canadians prioritize affordability
- Graph 2: issues affecting Canadians over the past two months, 2025
- How the telecom industry can thrive by meeting Canadians’ evolving priorities
- Graph 3: household savings rate, 2020-25
- Connecting Canada: how telecom can embrace diversity for inclusive growth
- Graph 4: proportion of visible minority in Canada, 1981-2036
- Unlocking opportunities: how telecom can empower Canada’s growing senior population
- Graph 5: population aged 0-14 and 65+, 2000-40 (projected)
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Primary home internet service
- Even consumers that consider themselves knowledgeable about internet delivery methods find the amount of options confusing.
- Graph 6: knowledge and comfortability with internet delivery methods/offers (% agree), 2025
- Canadian internet service usage hasn’t shifted from 2024
- Graph 7: services most commonly used to access internet at home, 2025
- Younger consumers more likely to be using wireless networks for their primary home internet service
- Graph 8: services most commonly used to access internet at home, by age, 2025
- Higher income Canadians are more likely to use fibre optic internet
- Graph 9: fibre optics and wireless hotspot usage to access internet at home, by household income, 2025
- Black and South Asian Canadians are significantly more likely to utilize budget internet options
- Graph 10: dial-up and wireless hotspot usage to access internet at home, Black and South Asian consumers vs overall, 2025
- Graph 11: satellite and wireless hotspot usage to access internet at home, those living in Canada for less than five years vs overall, 2025
- Position unlimited mobile data plans and robust hotspot capability to newer Canadians before transitioning them to fixed home internet
- Provider market by service type
- Bell, Rogers and TELUS directly control three quarters of all fibre optic service in the country
- Graph 12: fibre optic provider used most often to access the internet at home, 2025
- In Eastern Canada, Bell reigns supreme for fibre optic service, while TELUS dominates Western Canada
- Graph 13: fibre optic provider used most often to access the internet at home, by region, 2025
- Rogers is the dominant player when it comes to cable modems
- Graph 14: cable modem provider used most often to access the internet at home, 2025
- Rogers has a presence across Canada, while Videotron dominates Quebec
- Graph 15: cable modem provider used most often to access the internet at home, by region, 2025
- Bell Canada and TELUS are the top DSL carriers, but activity is again driven by region
- Graph 16: DSL provider used to access internet at home, 2025
- Satellite internet adoption is still very low in Canada
- Graph 17: satellite provider used to access internet at home most often, 2025
- Canada’s “Big Three” dominate the fixed wireless space, but TELUS trails behind Rogers and Bell
- Graph 18: fixed wireless provider used to access the internet at home most often, 2025
- TELUS competes with Rogers in Western regions, while Bell and Rogers compete for Eastern Canada
- Graph 19: fixed wireless provider used to access the internet at home most often, by region, 2025
- Bundled services
- Bundling is a form of retention
- Price is a major barrier to bundling for many consumers
- The most popular bundled service is cable/satellite TV
- Graph 20: services bundled with home internet provider, 2025
- Older consumers are more likely to bundle traditional services, while younger consumers are more likely to bundle security and third-party IPTV
- Graph 21: services bundled with home internet provider, by age, 2025
- Black, Chinese and South Asian consumers generally align with the bundling practices of younger consumers
- Graph 22: services bundled with home internet provider (select), Black and South Asian consumers vs overall, 2025
- Consumer satisfaction
- Canadians find their home internet service fast, robust and reliable, but find issues with value
- Graph 23: satisfaction with various aspects of internet service from primary service provider, 2025
- TELUS Rewards: still going strong in 2025
- Consumers are open to switching – speed, discounts and equipment perks are attractive
- Graph 24: consumer satisfaction attitudes (% agree), 2025
- Younger consumers place significantly higher value on faster internet speeds
- Graph 25: the fastest speeds are the most important quality when shopping for home internet (% agree), by age, 2025
- Consumers – specifically younger consumers and men – are feeling a severe lack of options
- Graph 26: “I would switch internet providers if I had more options available in my area” (% agree), by age and gender, 2025
- Younger men are significantly more likely pay attention to competitor adverts
- Graph 27: “I pay attention to ads from other home internet providers when I see/hear them” (% agree), by age and gender, 2025
- Men aged 35-54 – particularly fathers – are more likely to switch providers if free equipment is offered.
- Graph 28: “I’d be more likely to switch internet service providers if they offered additional equipment” (% agree), by age and gender, 2025
- Younger consumers are actually less likely to be dissatisfied with the price of internet
- Graph 29: satisfaction with home internet price, by age, 2025
- However, lowering rate on an individual basis as a retention effort may be more effective among younger consumers
- Graph 30: “I feel like I get a better rate from my provider than other subscribers” (% agree), by age, 2025
- Black and South Asian consumers were significantly more likely to find fast speeds important than consumer overall
- Graph 31: the fastest speeds are the most important quality when shopping for home internet (% agree), Black and South Asian consumers vs overall, 2025
- Barring extreme service disruptions, price may be the only means of motivating a switch
- Consumer spend
- Consumers expect basic home internet costs to be relatively high, but are more frugal when bundling
- Graph 32: how much would be too much to pay for a total telecom package, 2025
- Graph 33: how much would be too much to pay for basic home internet, 2025
- Younger consumers are more likely to have a lower price threshold, but older consumers are not immune to price sensitivity
- Graph 34: how much would be too much to pay for basic home internet, 2025
- Graph 35: how much would be too much to pay for a total telecom package, 2025
- New Canadians absolutely need affordable internet, with a very low threshold for bundling
- Graph 36: how much would be too much to pay for basic home internet, new Canadians vs overall, 2025
- Graph 37: how much would be too much to pay for a total telecom package, 2025
- Affordable bundles and home internet promotions could secure future loyalty among newcomers
- Consumers are split on speed and cost
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Xplore launched fixed wireless at near-fibre speeds
- CRTC’s mandated nationwide wholesale fibre access to boost competition
- Major infrastructure investments by TELUS
- Government opens up millimetre-wave spectrum for fixed wireless innovation
- Satellite internet gains traction in remote regions
- “Wakey wakey” Western Canada: a new ISP is here
- telMAX launches 4 Gbps symmetrical internet plan and wins “Fastest ISP” in Canada
- Marketing and advertising
- How communication and telecom device brands can leverage social media to reach across generations
- Graph 38: daily social media usage, 2025
- Back-to-school offers are a great way to build relationships with new consumers
- “Hassle-free” low commitment internet can be a draw to consumers in tougher economic times
- Claiming to be the fastest remains a common messaging tactic
- Establishing a solid TikTok presence is key to brand building with younger consumers
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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