Measuring Broadband Canada project
As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that Canadians have access to reliable and high-quality telecommunications services we launched the Measuring Broadband Canada project to better understand how Canadians are experiencing Internet performance at home.
We are working with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and several Canadian Internet service providers (ISPs) to measure the performance of Canadian broadband services.
The 4 phases of the Measuring Broadband Canada project
Phases 1 and 2: Fixed wired Internet
Spring 2016 and Fall 2019
The first two phases measured fixed wired Internet service performance, including actual connection speeds of Canadian ISPs. The first phase ended with the publication of the SamKnows phase 1 report in 2016. The project’s second phase was conducted in October 2019, followed by the publication of the SamKnows phase 2 report in September 2020.
The data collected during both phases from approximately 5,000 Canadian volunteers from across the country:
- informed our policies for Internet services;
- allowed Canadians to gain a greater understanding of whether Internet services from participating ISPs are delivered at the advertised speeds;
- enabled ISPs to improve their networks to better serve existing customers and promote products to potential new customers.
Phase 1 - 2016 Measuring Fixed wired Internet report
A preliminary report with data, focusing on performance by region and access technology was published on March 31, 2016, and a final report with data on the performance of individual ISPs and their specific service offerings was published in September 2016.
Both reports compare the performance of various forms of fixed and wired Internet technologies in different regions of the country. The reports indicated that:
- Most Internet services, regardless of the technology, met or exceeded their advertised speeds, but with some notable exceptions.
- Most Canadians would not notice slower network response times and connectivity issues during testing when accessing common applications on the internet. In addition, network speed and web-browsing results in Canada compares favourably to those measured in other jurisdictions including the United States.
Phase 2 - 2020 Measuring Fixed wired Internet report
A report with data on the performance of individual ISPs and their specific service offerings was published on September 8, 2020.
The report provides regional performance metrics and compares the performance of various forms of fixed and wired Internet technologies. The data from this report was collected from October 1 to 31, 2019. The report indicated that:
- The vast majority of participating Canadian ISPs have met or exceeded the maximum download and upload speeds they advertise.
- The quality of Internet service is consistent across the participating ISPs, regardless of the time of day.
Phase 3: Fixed wireless Internet service
Fall 2022
This phase focused on the performance of fixed wireless Internet services, with download speeds of 50 Mbps or faster provided to Canadian homes. Similar to previous phases, the goal of the testing was to allow Canadians to determine if they are getting the advertised speed, to help providers improve their networks, and to inform the CRTC’s policies for Internet services.
Phase 3 - 2024 Measuring Fixed wireless Internet report
A preliminary report on the performance of ISPs and their fixed wireless Internet services was published in May 2024. The report provides performance metrics. The data from this report was collected from January 15 to February 15, 2024. The report indicated that:
- Many participating fixed wireless Internet service providers have met the maximum download and upload speeds they advertise.
- The quality of Internet service is consistent across the participating ISPs, regardless of the time of day.
The following elements were measured:
- download speed;
- upload speed; and
- latency.
Phase 4: Satellite Internet
Coming soon
The next phase of the Measuring Broadband Project Canada will focus on satellite services. More details will be announced soon.
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