Rogers, Bell, Telus... and Freedom? Mapping the Future of Canadian Mobile

The Canadian telecommunications market continues to experience steady growth as operators focus on network upgrades. A significant portion of their investments has been directed toward LTE infrastructure to meet the increasing consumer demand for mobile data services, alongside further investments in 5G technology. Regulatory initiatives have supported these investment efforts by ensuring operators have access to the necessary spectrum for 5G development. Spectrum in the 600MHz and 3.5GHz bands has already been auctioned, with additional auctions planned through 2024. Notably, in the 3.5GHz band, the regulator allocated 50MHz exclusively for new entrants to foster competition in the wireless market.

Mobile penetration in Canada remains relatively low compared to global standards, providing substantial growth potential. Canada is the world’s second largest country by area, and all that space leaves cell phone coverage stretched pretty thin. Less than 30 percent of Canada’s geographic area is covered by Bell, Rogers, or Telus. Much of the Canadian landscape is sparsely populated, and those areas tend to have less service. However Canadians enjoy extensive LTE and LTE-A infrastructure, with major operators achieving approximately 99% population coverage despite geographical challenges and the remoteness of certain areas. In the 5G segment, Telus and Bell Wireless were early adopters, with Shaw Communications joining the field in May 2018. Currently, operators offer 5G coverage to around 70% of the population.

To promote competition, the government has reserved specific spectrum blocks for new market entrants and restricted agreements among operators that would lead to regional or national spectrum concentration. For instance, about 43% of the spectrum auctioned in the 600MHz band has been set aside for smaller operators to encourage a more competitive market landscape.

One of the most significant developments in promoting competition came from the Rogers–Shaw merger, which led to the divestiture of Freedom Mobile to Quebecor-owned Vidéotron. This move was mandated by regulators to preserve market competitiveness and has positioned Freedom as the fourth national carrier. Under new ownership, Freedom Mobile now benefits from enhanced spectrum holdings and access to national roaming agreements, enabling it to expand its reach beyond traditional strongholds in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. With new pricing strategies and 5G rollout plans, Freedom is emerging as a more formidable alternative to the Big Three, especially in urban markets.

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 40.44 million cellular mobile connections in Canada at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Canada were equivalent to 103.8 percent of the total population in January 2024. The number of mobile connections in Canada increased by 1.8 million (+4.7 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

According the most recent OpenSignal report on Canada: mobile operator Rogers continues to win the most awards, either joint or outright, taking home five total wins. Not only does Rogers win both national awards for consistency, Reliability Experience and Consistent Quality, it also does well regionally, topping the leaderboard for Consistent Quality and Reliability Experience in five and six provinces, respectively.

In terms of awards won, Bell is hot on Rogers’ heels, just one total win separates the two. Bell performs especially well for the two coverage metrics, both nationally and regionally. Bell is a joint winner for Coverage Experience in all seven regions examined and shares the top spot for Availability in all but British Columbia. Telus wins two awards this time around, both joint victories with Bell, and performs well regionally for Games Experience, Download Speed Experience and Coverage Experience.

Bell has Canada’s largest 4G network, meaning customers are unlikely to fall back to 3G coverage.

Most of Bell’s coverage focuses on Canada’s major urban centres: every big city in the country is blanketed by the network. Alberta and Saskatchewan are particularly well-represented by Bell’s coverage.

Outside of their cell phone network, Bell also has customers covered with more than 4,000 Wifi hotspots across the country. The company’s wireless signal can be found in every province, although more remote areas have little to no coverage.

Bell Canada uses the 20–80 MHz and 10–100 MHz bands for its 5G network. Bell 5G+ is Bell's next-generation 5G network, which uses the 3500 MHz spectrum.  Bell 5G+ is available to over 51% of the Canadian population and is expected to be fully deployed in the coming years. Bell claims that its 5G network is the fastest in Canada, with average download speeds of 158.7 Mbps.

Rogers’ network covers less than 20% of Canada by area but but reaches 97 percent of the country’s population, thanks to prominent placement in all major urban centres. Its biggest weak point is its limited coverage in the country’s less densely populated provinces, namely the Maritimes and the Territories.

Rogers Communications launched Canada's first 5G network in January 2020, initially deploying in major cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Partnering with Ericsson, Rogers has since expanded its 5G coverage to over 2,200 communities, reaching 31 million Canadians and providing more coverage than any other 5G network in the country. In December 2020, Rogers began rolling out its standalone (SA) 5G core network in select markets, enhancing network capabilities and performance. By March 2022, it claimed the first commercial 5G SA launch in Canada. 

The company has also been at the forefront of technological advancements, conducting the first successful test of 5G network slicing in Canada in early 2023, with plans for commercial deployment to support various applications. 

Rogers utilizes a range of frequency bands for its 5G services, including 600MHz (n71), 2.5GHz (n41), and 3.5GHz (n78), to balance coverage and capacity.  In June 2022, the company activated its 3500MHz 5G services, further enhancing network performance.  Additionally, in November 2023, Rogers secured nationwide 3.8GHz spectrum in Canada's third 5G spectrum auction, positioning the company for future network enhancements. 

The company's commitment to expanding and enhancing its 5G network underscores its dedication to providing Canadians with reliable and advanced wireless services. Rogers said it has invested over CAD 40 billion in its networks over the last decade, including CAD 4 billion in capital investments in 2024. 

Many Canadians may not realize that Bell and Telus use the same cell phone towers across the country. That means Telus’ coverage also reaches every province, every urban area in Canada, and 99% of the population.

Telus’ Mobility network typically performs slightly faster than Bell’s, so Telus has a reputation for reliability. Telus covers 28.8% of Canada by area –the same as Bell and nearly 10 percent higher than Rogers.

Telus launched its 5G network in 2020 and has since expanded coverage to major markets like Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. The company has partnered with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung to build its 5G infrastructure. Telus’ 5G Standalone (SA) network, introduced in 2023, offers enhanced speeds, reduced latency, and new opportunities for smart city applications and IoT solutions.

Canada’s mobile operators are working tirelessly to expand and improve their networks, with a significant focus on 5G technology. Rogers, Bell, and Telus lead the market in terms of coverage and technological advancements, while smaller operators like Freedom Mobile and Videotron provide competitive alternatives in select regions. As 5G continues to evolve, Canadians can look forward to faster speeds, more reliable connections, and innovative applications that enhance everyday life

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• Operator Watch Blog: Canadians to get 5G Upgrade after conclusion of 3.5 GHz Spectrum Auction 

6 Mobile Operators in the Global 100 Ranking of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies

The Global 100 is an annual assessment by Corporate Knights Inc. The 100 most responsible companies in the world were selected based on an assessment of 6,733 international listed companies against 25 metrics for environmental responsibility, social responsibility and good governance.

Their official press release says: 

Since 2005, the Global 100 has been one of the world’s most valued and transparent rules-based sustainability ratings that emphasizes the impact of a company’s core products and services. It is the best-performing global sustainability index (ticker: CKG100), with more than 10 years of history. All publicly traded companies with more than US$1 billion in revenue are assessed across 25 key performance indicators that cover resource management, employee management, financial management, sustainable revenue and sustainable investment, and supplier performance. Companies engaging in “red flag” activities such as blocking climate policy and contributing to deforestation are disqualified.

Telecom TV's morning headlines newsletter produced a nice summary reproduced below:

Seven telecom operators have ended up in the Global 100 ranking of the world’s most sustainable companies, compiled by Canadian sustainable economy magazine Corporate Knights. Bell Canada scored the highest among its telco peers, ranking 51st globally (down from 42nd in 2023). Next of the telecom providers is Finnish operator Elisa (59th), Singaporean telco Singtel (62nd), North American hybrid fibre coaxial cable operator Cogeco Communications (73rd), Brazilian telco Telefônica Brasil (75th), Singaporean operator StarHub (80th, down from 34th last year) and Canadian telco Telus (85th, down from position 37st last year). On the vendor side, Ericsson is recognised as one of the most sustainable companies worldwide, climbing from position 65 in 2023 to 15 this year. Cisco is also present, ranking 64th. Tech giant Apple has climbed a mere two spots to 71st place globally. Corporate Knights explained that the rankings included all public companies with more than US$1bn in revenue, with assessments made across 25 key indicators, including percentage of “sustainable revenue” and “sustainable investment” into green solutions, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, taxes paid, carbon productivity, and racial and gender diversity.

It's great to see MNOs taking initiatives for a sustainable future.

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Canadians to get 5G Upgrade after conclusion of 3.5 GHz Spectrum Auction

The Canadian telecom market continues to show steady development as operators invest in network upgrades. Much of this work is being supported by regulatory efforts to ensure that operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services, for which several auctions are planned through to 2024. Assigning and releasing spectrum for 5G will allay existing fears that the country could lag developments in the US and Europe. In addition, the regulator has set aside a portion of certain spectrum for new entrants to encourage competition in the wireless segment. Much of the investment among operators has been channelled into LTE infrastructure to capitalise of consumer demand for mobile data services, while there has also been further investment in 5G.

At the same time, fixed-line telephony services are dwindling as customers make greater use of mobile networks and VoIP options. Revenue from the broadband and mobile sectors is underpinning overall telecom sector revenue while the fixed-voice sector continues to decline.

The mobile penetration rate remains comparatively low by international standards, and so the market offers further room for growth. Canadians are well provided for LTE and LTE-A infrastructure. Despite topographical challenges and the remoteness of many areas, the major players effectively offer 99% population coverage with LTE. 

The government has endeavoured to encourage market competition by ensuring that blocks of spectrum have been reserved for new entrants, while preventing deals among operators which would have concentrated spectrum either regionally or nationally. About 43% of spectrum to be auctioned in the 600MHz band has been reserved for smaller operators in a bid to encourage competition.

Canada has 3 national mobile providers: Rogers Wireless, Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility. In the last few years all networks have moved to the GSM-based technology on 3G and 4G/LTE, CDMA is gone.

On 2G (GSM/EDGE) Rogers is the only provider on 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. All operators have 3G (UMTS) on 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. 4G (LTE) is widely available on all providers. If you have signal, chances are you will be getting at least 3G.

In Canada, UMTS-based HSPA+ and DC-HSPA+ used to be called "4G". Real 4G on LTE began some years ago on the Big Three networks on 700 MHz (B12/13/17) and 1700 MHz (B4). Rogers, Bell, and  Telus also support the 2600 MHz (B7) frequency, which is far more compatible with devices from overseas, but it is usually not deployed throughout the full footprint and is generally confined to the big cities. Bell and Telus have also refarmed some 1900 MHz (B2) to LTE. Extended coverage (meaning Rogers roaming on Bell/Telus, and the reverse) is not available to prepaid customers. As a general rule, Bell and Rogers are stronger in the east and Telus is stronger in the west, but Bell and Telus have implemented RAN sharing, so they can effectively be seen as one network. Also important to note is that Rogers only has "extended" coverage in the north of Canada (Yukon/Northwest Territory/Nunavut), so you will not have coverage as a prepaid user. If you need coverage in the north, you will need to sign up with Bell, Telus, or one of their sub-brands, or get an Ice Wireless SIM once you arrive.

The government of Canada recently confirmed it had raised a total of CAD8.9 billion in its auction of 3.5 GHz spectrum, which will be used by local carrier to further expand 5G services in the country.

5G licenses in this key band were made available based on 172 localized service areas covering the entire country, allowing bidders to target geographic markets, including rural areas. The government noted that a total of 23 companies participated in the auction. In total, 1,495 out of 1,504 available licenses were awarded to 15 operators, including 757 licenses to small and regional providers across the country.

In Opensignal’s first comparison of the 5G experience across carriers in Canada, they found a mobile network experience landscape characterized by extreme competition. Out of seven awards for the taking, not one award category was won outright by any of the operators. Users saw three-way statistical ties between Bell, Rogers and Telus on three metrics — 5G Availability, 5G Reach and 5G Upload Speed — and in the remaining categories, users saw ties between two operators.

Historically, Canada has been one of the leading 4G markets globally when it comes to mobile network experience. In the latest Global Mobile Network Experience Awards report, all three national carriers — Bell, Rogers, and Telus — placed in the top ten for Download Speed Experience, but when it comes to 5G, Canada is losing global leadership.

Due to challenges with limited 5G spectrum Canada is now losing ground in 5G compared with other countries. This change of fortunes as we enter the 5G era is likely because Canada’s carriers are limited to deploying 5G in lower spectrum bands for now, as the auction of the critical 3.5 GHz mid-band spectrum was delayed until June 2021 due to COVID-19. However, even then, Canadian carriers will have access in this auction to a very limited amount of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band — 200 MHz (maximum of 150 MHz for Bell, Telus and Rogers) — which is significantly lower compared to many other 5G countries. The full capabilities of 5G are best realized through the wider channel sizes in the new 5G bands, as for users to enjoy the best 5G speeds, carriers need to be able to deploy 5G with 100 Mhz channel sizes which is extremely difficult for carriers to achieve without access to new mid-band spectrum.

Open Signal have also reported on the difference in mobile experience in urban and rural areas. This improved drastically over the years and, on average, is significantly higher than in many other countries globally. However, Opensignal's analysis shows that the urban/rural divide in the mobile experience continues to exist in the country. While the operators and government have been addressing this issue, it is evident that there is more to be done to remove the rural-urban gap.

Rogers and its sub-brands are the only national provider who offers GSM-based 2G on 850 MHz and 1900 MHz up to EDGE. Due to network sharing between the other two telcos, Rogers has slightly less coverage than other two but you will not notice much difference unless you are deep in the mountains or remote areas. A device capable of 850 MHz and 1900 MHz in 3G or 700 MHz (B12/13/17) and 1700 MHz (B4)/1900 MHz (B2) in 4G is essential.

Rogers was the first operator to bring 5G to Canadians in early 2020, and over the past year and a half it has delivered 5G connectivity to over 800 communities across Canada, now reaching more than 50% of Canadians. By the end of 2021, over 1,000 communities – more than 70% of the population – will have access to Rogers 5G. Recently, Rogers invested $3.3 billion in 3500 MHz band spectrum, covering 99.4% of the Canadian population, to enhance and accelerate the expansion of Canada’s first, largest and most reliable 5G network.

Telus and its sub-brands Koodo and Public Mobile have a GSM 3G and 4G network which is slightly better than Rogers. Their 3G/4G footprint is identical with Bell as they share the same towers. A device capable of 850 MHz and 1900 MHz in 3G or 700 MHz (B12/13/17) and 1700 MHz (B4)/1900 MHz (B2) in 4G is essential. 

Telus recently announced the acquisition of new 3500 MHz spectrum licences in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec at a cost of $1.95 billion. Combined with the spectrum it acquired privately in January 2021, Telus now holds licences to an average of 25 MHz of 3500 spectrum nationally and 40 MHz in our key markets, at an average price of $2.53 per MHz-pop. These licences will enable Telus to deliver enhanced mobile 5G broadband connectivity to its customers nationwide. The 3500 MHz band is mid-band spectrum that has become the critical global band for 5G innovation, as it offers the best combination of speed, capacity due to its wide channels and improved latency performance and coverage.

Bell's coverage is identical with Telus, due to their tower sharing agreements. A device capable of 850 MHz and 1900 MHz in 3G or 700 MHz (B12/13/17) and 1700 MHz (B4)/1900 MHz (B2) in 4G is essential. 4G/LTE is given out for prepaid:

Canadian carrier Bell’s 5G services already reach more than 40% of the country’s population and are on track to reach 70% coverage by the end of the 2021. They have secured 30% of the 3.5 GHz spectrum available to national wireless carriers at the recently concluded auction for a price of CAD2.07 billion ($1.67 billion). This included an additional 30 megahertz in each of the top three markets and an incremental 22 megahertz in their rural wireless-to-the-home markets.

Earlier this year, Bell announced the biggest capital expenditure plan in its history, with at least CAD1 billion in additional capital investment in new networks over the next two years to support the national economic and employment recovery from COVID-19. This investment is in addition to the more than $4 billion that Bell typically invests annually in next generation wireless and fibre network infrastructure and service development.

Bell announced the launch of its commercial 5G service in the country June 2020. The carrier’s 5G service was initially available in Montréal, the Greater Toronto Area, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Also in 2020, Bell Canada selected Ericsson 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology to support its nationwide 5G mobile and fixed wireless access deployment. The carrier started the construction of its 5G network last year, using equipment from Finnish vendor Nokia.

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Bell Canada to Deliver ‘Tailored’ Advertisements Based on Customers Personal Info

Bell wants permission to gather and track customer data but Canadian privacy laws mean they first have to ask. A news article in CBC last month said:

Bell Canada began asking its customers in December for permission to track everything they do with their home and mobile phones, internet, television, apps or any other services they get through Bell or its affiliates.

In return, Bell says it will provide advertising and promotions that are more "tailored" to their needs and preferences.

If given permission, Bell will collect information about its customers' age, gender, billing addresses, and the specific tablet, television or other devices used to access Bell services.

It will also collect the "number of messages sent and received, voice minutes, user data consumption and type of connectivity when downloading or streaming."

Privacy and security concerns

"I mean, in a perfect world, they would give you discounts or they would give you points or things that consumers would more tangibly want, rather than just the elimination of a pain point — which is what they're offering right now," Toronto-based consultant Charlie Wilton, whose firm has advised Bell and Rogers in the past, says.

Teresa Scassa, who teaches law at the University of Ottawa and holds the Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy, says Bell has done a good job of explaining what it wants to do but there are also privacy and security concerns to consider.

At the macro level, Bell's data security could be breached by hackers. At the micro level, she adds, there's the potential for family friction if everybody starts getting ads based on one person's activities.

Ads for pornography, birth control or services for victims of abuse could trigger confrontations, for instance.

"Some families are open and sharing. Others are fraught with tension and violence," Scassa says.

Wilton says a company in Bell's position also runs the risk that customers will feel betrayed if their information is leaked or the advertising they receive is inappropriate.

Back in Oct. 2013, CBC reported another similar news item on Bell about Privacy commissioner to start investigating Bell's data collection as Canadian telecom giant was about to begin highly targeted advertising program in Nov. What Bell said back then:

"What's new is that we're giving Bell customers the option to receive internet advertising that's relevant to them rather than the random online advertising they're receiving now. The number of ads customers see won't increase and they can opt out anytime by visiting bell.ca/relevant ads. We're giving customers advance notice before we start offering relevant advertising on Nov. 16."

iPhoneInCanada has more details on this topic.

The Relevant Ads Program was eventually phased out in 2015 after the Privacy Commissioner of Canada ruled the advertising violated Canadian law, as it automatically opted-in customers.

Now, Bell’s current version of this ad tracking program recently asked customers last month to gain more access to personal information for improved “tailored marketing.” This data would arise from a Bell’s customers wireless or landline, internet, television, or anything related to Bell apps and the company’s affiliates.

The Canadian Press reports a notice sent out last month by Bell explained, “Tailored marketing means Bell will be able to customize advertising based on participant account information and service usage patterns, similar to the ways that companies like Google and others have been doing for some time.”

Bell says it wants to gain data such as a customer’s age, billing address, gender and specific devices used to access Bell services, on top of the “number of messages sent and received, voice minutes, user data consumption and type of connectivity when downloading or streaming,” for the sake of delivering more targeted ads.

Both pictures above are from iPhoneInCanada. You can read more details about this story there.