Government of Canada continues to deliver on more affordable telecom services
News release
Annual study shows prices for wireless and home Internet services declined in 2022
March 10, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario
The Government of Canada is making every effort to ensure that telecommunications services are reliable, innovative, competitive and—most crucially—affordable. That’s why the government has introduced policies that promote competition, including a recently issued new policy direction to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and continues to keep service providers accountable for their pricing.
Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the publication of the 2022 Price Comparison Study of Telecom Services, an annual report that tracks the prices for wireless and home Internet services.
The report is clear, Canada’s wireless prices declined by an average of 2.6% across all levels, with declines up to 16% for the largest data plans in 2022. For home Internet, prices declined or were stable, an 11% decline was recorded for mid-range plans. The report also shows that regional competitors are offering prices up to 39% lower than the major national service providers.
In another indication of declining prices, in January 2023, Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index showed that prices for cellular services declined almost 30% from 2019 to 2022. Despite this progress, Canadians continue to pay too much for their telecom services. More work must be done and that’s why the government continues to advance policies that prioritize competition, which in turn will drive down prices and make services more affordable for Canadians.
Quotes
“Increasing competition and improving affordability in the telecommunications sector is my top priority. Canadians pay too much for these essential services—full stop. I’m pleased to see that prices continue to decline for most wireless and Internet plans; however, there is still more work to do. It’s clear from this study that competition is key to further reducing prices, and our government will continue to pursue the policies necessary to increase consumer choice for telecom services across Canada.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Quick facts
-
The 2022 study is the 15th edition of an annual study commissioned by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to examine the pricing of telecommunications services.
-
The study tracks pricing for wireless and broadband services in six different regional markets across Canada as well as in a sample of peer countries.
-
On February 13, 2023, the Government of Canada issued a renewed policy direction to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to enhance competition, affordability, consumer rights and universal access.
Associated links
Contacts
Laurie Bouchard
Senior Manager, Communications
Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
laurie.bouchard@ised-isde.gc.ca
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
media@ised-isde.gc.ca
Stay connected
Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED.
Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.
Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn
Page details
- Date modified: