Communications Monitoring Report 2013: The Communications service industry
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3.0 The Communications service industry

3.1 Overview
This section provides an overview of the broadcasting and telecommunications service industries (the Canadian communications service industry).
It presents the financial performance of Canadian communications entities and a number of financial indicators, such as revenues over a five-year period. Some of the characteristics of the industry such as ownership and the extent to which industry participants offer communications services outside their traditional core services are examined. In 2005, revenues of incumbent TSPs and cable companies, as a percent of total communications revenues, were approximately 59% and 23%, respectively. At the end of 2012, their revenues represented 50% and 32% of total communications revenues. The financial performance of individual sectors within broadcasting and telecommunications is found in sections 4 and 5.
2011 | 2012 | % Growth |
|
---|---|---|---|
Communications revenues | 59.4# | 60.7 | 2.3% |
Broadcasting | 16.6 | 16.8 | 1.3% |
Radio | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.4% |
TV | 6.4 | 6.5 | 1.9% |
BDU | 8.6 | 8.7 | 1.1% |
Telecommunications | 42.8# | 43.9 | 2.7% |
Communications revenues by type of provider | |||
Incumbent TSPs | 29.8# | 30.3 | 1.7% |
Cable companies | 19.2 | 19.6 | 2.2% |
Other | 10.4 | 10.8 | 4.3% |
Source: CRTC data collection
Statistical information – Financial overview
a) Industry revenues
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | CAGR 2008-2012 |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Telecommunications | ||||||
Wireline | 24.2 | 24.0 | 23.7 | 23.7# | 23.5 | -0.6% |
Percentage growth | 2.2 | -0.5 | -1.6 | 0.0 | -0.5 | |
Wireless | 16.0 | 16.9 | 18.0 | 19.1 | 20.4 | 6.2% |
Percentage growth | 10.4 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.5 | |
Subtotal | 40.2 | 40.9 | 41.7 | 42.8 | 43.9 | 2.2% |
Percentage growth | 5.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | |
Broadcasting | ||||||
Radio AM/FM | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.4% |
Percentage growth | 6.1 | -5.4 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 0.4 | |
Television | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 4.4% |
Percentage growth | 4.3 | 0.1 | 10.6 | 5.4 | 1.9 | |
BDU | 6.9 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 5.9% |
Percentage growth | 9.7 | 7.6 | 9.3 | 5.8 | 1.1 | |
Subtotal | 14.0 | 14.4 | 15.8 | 16.6 | 16.8 | 4.7% |
Percentage growth | 7.1 | 3.2 | 9.1 | 5.4 | 1.4 | |
Total revenues | 54.2 | 55.4 | 57.4 | 59.4 | 60.7 | 2.9% |
Percentage growth | 5.8 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
Source: CRTC data collection
Figure 3.1.1 Broadcasting and telecommunications annual revenue growth rates
Source: CRTC data collection
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | CAGR 2009-2012 |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incumbent TSPs | |||||
Telecommunications | 27.2 | 27.2 | 27.7# | 28.0 | 0.9% |
Percentage growth | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 1.0 | |
BDUs | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 12.3% |
Percentage growth | 10.1 | 14.2 | 12.6 | 10.3 | |
Subtotal | 28.8 | 29.1 | 29.8 | 30.3 | 1.7% |
Percentage growth | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | |
Utility telcos and other TSPs | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 16.7% |
Percentage growth | 23.5 | -1.4 | 19.1 | 35.2 | |
Resellers | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | -1.1% |
Percentage growth | -14.4 | -3.8 | -0.7 | 1.2 | |
Cable Companies | |||||
Telecommunications | 11.4 | 12.2 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 5.1% |
Percentage growth | 7.8 | 7.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | |
BDUs | 5.8# | 6.2# | 6.5# | 6.3 | 3.1% |
Percentage growth | 6.9 | 7.9 | 3.7 | -1.9 | |
Subtotal | 17.2 | 18.5 | 19.2 | 19.6 | 4.5% |
Percentage growth | 7.5 | 7.3 | 3.9 | 2.2 | |
Broadcasting - Other entities | 7.0# | 7.6# | 8.0# | 8.1 | 5.2% |
Percentage growth | -1.1 | 9.0 | 5.1 | 1.6 | |
Total | 55.4 | 57.4 | 59.4 | 60.7 | 3.1% |
Percentage growth | 2.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 |
Source: CRTC data collection
b) Industry characteristics
Year | Percentage of incumbent BDUs’ revenues from telecom services1 | Percentage of ILECs’ revenues from BDU services |
---|---|---|
2012 | 67.7 | 7.8 |
2011 | 66.3 | 7.2 |
2010 | 66.2 | 6.5 |
2009 | 66.4 | 5.8 |
2008 | 66.1 | 5.3 |
2007 | 64.7 | 4.7 |
1. Telecom services include local and access, long distance, Internet, data and private line, and wireless.
Source: CRTC data collection
Number of sectors in which companies offer service | Number of reporting companies operating in these sectors |
Percent of broadcasting and telecommunications revenues generated in these sectors |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 63 | 62 | 61 |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 23 | 24 |
7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
5 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
3 | 27 | 35 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2 | 42 | 44 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
1 | 218 | 217 | 233 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
- Additional companies reported in 2012.
- Number of sectors includes 5 broadcasting sectors (radio, television, BDU, specialty and VOD, and pay and PPV) and 6 telecommunications sectors (local and access, long distance, Internet, data and private line, and wireless).
- 2010 data restated to reflect industry players as of Q1 2011.
- Affiliates are included with their parent company.
Source: CRTC data collection
Figure 3.1.2 Broadcasting and telecommunications revenues for the top 5 company groups, the next 5 company groups, and the remaining company groups

- Revenues for the top companies include the revenues of their affiliates.
- Affiliates are included with their parent company.
- Top 5 are: Bell Canada, Quebecor, Rogers, TCC and Shaw.
- Next 5 are: Astral, Bragg, Cogeco, MTS and SaskTel.
Source: CRTC data collection
Figure 3.1.3 Broadcasting and telecommunications revenues by type of provider, 2012
Source: CRTC data collection
Figure 3.1.4 Commercial broadcasting and telecommunications revenues (excluding non-programming and exempt services)
Source: CRTC data collection
Figure 3.1.5 BDU revenues by service type
Source: CRTC data collection
Figure 3.1.6 Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications revenue composition for a select number of large companies
- Bubbles represent estimated Canadian telecommunications and broadcasting revenues in 2012.
Source: CRTC data collection
c) Financial performance
Figure 3.1.7 BDU – EBITDA margins achieved from all services (programming, exempted, and non-programming)
Source: CRTC data collection
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