# Canada

Mobile Fixed
November 15, 2017
Based on Q2-Q3 2017 data

## Introduction

If you’ve been looking for the fastest mobile download speed in North America, consider visiting Canada. Canada ranks 15th in the world for mean download speed during Q2-Q3 2017, between New Zealand and Qatar. For upload speed, Canada ranks third in North America, behind Mexico and the Bahamas, and 46th in the world, between Kazakhstan and Cambodia.

Canadian mobile carriers are the force behind these continent-topping speeds. Rogers Wireless was the first Canadian carrier to launch LTE back in 2011, introducing mobile broadband experience to Canadians. Bell Mobility and TELUS followed with an interesting, but effective, strategy of sharing both spectrum and infrastructure. This allowed them to offer similar experiences nationwide, and focus on core network optimization. Earlier this year, Bell Mobility launched “Quad-Band” LTE-Advanced capability, aggregating four LTE channels and adding 256QAM enhancements in order to provide up to 750 Mbps peak speeds. TELUS quickly followed suit. Freedom Mobile, previously known as Wind Mobile, could be the disruptor in the Canadian wireless landscape as they offer competitive performance at very competitive prices in major metro areas.

## Country Speeds

During Q2-Q3 2017, the average mobile download speed in Canada was 35.19 Mbps, while the average upload speed was 10.29 Mbps. Download speeds have experienced a steady increase since the same period last year, showcasing a 38.9% improvement. Further, upload speeds rose by 19.8%.

## Fastest Carriers

This year Ookla developed Speed Score to more accurately reflect the full breadth of consumer experience on a given network. Speed Score incorporates low-end, median and top-end performance for both download and upload speed. It’s a comprehensive metric that combines all factors that matter to a good network experience into a single score.

Using data from Speedtest Intelligence, we determined the fastest carriers in the country during Q2-Q3 2017. TELUS, with a Speed Score of 42.16 on modern devices, narrowly topped Bell Mobility for the title of fastest carrier in Canada. A Speed Score of 28.73 placed Videotron in third, while Fido Solutions and Rogers Wireless clocked in at 27.99 and 27.25, respectively. Freedom Mobile finished in fourth place with a Speed Score of 17.30.

TELUS and Bell Mobility share infrastructure with each other, and Fido Solutions, as a subsidiary of Rogers Wireless, shares their network. When two carriers share a network it’s not surprising that their speeds are similar. In theory, they should be identical, but the number of users on any given cell varies. In addition, it’s likely that the peering agreements the two carriers have with various content delivery networks (CDNs) also vary, which can affect speeds as well.

### Speed Score

When analyzing fastest carriers, we consider all carriers with 3% or more of total test samples in the market for the period. We then determine the fastest carrier using Speed Score which incorporates a measure of each provider’s download and upload speed to rank network speed performance (90% of the final Speed Score is attributed to download speed and the remaining 10% to upload speed). The Speed Score uses a modified trimean to demonstrate the download and upload speeds that are available across a provider’s network. We take speeds from the 10th percentile, 50th percentile (also known as the median), and 90th percentile, and combine them in a weighted average using a 1:2:1 ratio, respectively. We place the most emphasis on the download speeds and median speeds as those represent what most network providers’ customers will experience on a day-to-day basis.

## Speedtest Coverage

The distribution of mobile test results during Q2-Q3 2017 follows an expected pattern by mirroring Canada’s population density with results primarily found along the southern borders of the country and up the interior plains. The maps below show the distribution of Speedtest results overall and by carrier.

Videotron covers the smallest geographical area. Freedom Mobile shows a slightly wider breadth of test results with added coverage in Alberta. Fido shows an even more dense pattern of results, especially in Manitoba and in the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. Results on Rogers, TELUS and Bell Mobility span the widest areas, covering all major urban centers and many place in between.

It’s important to note that a carrier’s presence in a market does not mean that market is well served by the carrier. Networks can be stretched thin, which can cause poor performance in comparison to carriers in concentrated areas.

## Fastest Carriers by City

#### Q2-Q3 2017

City speeds based on average speeds for all results. Carrier speeds based on Speed Score for modern devices.
City | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Fastest Carrier | Speed Score
Calgary, Alberta | 39.98 | 12.52 | Bell Mobility | 49.90
Edmonton, Alberta | 38.13 | 10.74 | TELUS | 41.10
Halifax, Nova Scotia | 45.88 | 14.38 | Bell Mobility | 54.52
London, Ontario | 36.49 | 9.45 | Bell Mobility | 53.02
Montreal, Québec | 37.87 | 13.41 | TELUS | 48.32
Ottawa, Ontario | 30.63 | 9.29 | TELUS | 45.99
Québec City, Québec | 41.71 | 14.13 | TELUS | 51.58
Toronto, Ontario | 35.11 | 10.65 | Bell Mobility | 59.02
Vancouver, British Columbia | 41.33 | 13.11 | TELUS - Bell Mobility tie | 49.91-49.51
Winnipeg, Manitoba | 28.78 | 9.93 | TELUS | 51.86

Halifax, Nova Scotia has the fastest average download speed of the 10 largest cities in the country based on Q2-Q3 2017 Speedtest data. The distantly eastern city shows an average download speed of 45.88 Mbps on all devices. Quebec City, Quebec and Vancouver, British Columbia are close behind and round out the top 3 fastest Canadian cities. The slowest average download speeds, 28.78 Mbps, are found in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Toronto, Ontario and Ottawa, Ontario are a tad bit faster and sit at third and second slowest, respectively.

As we saw in the race for fastest overall carrier in Canada, Bell Mobility and TELUS remain neck and neck when comparing regional carrier performance based on Speed Score on modern devices. Of the ten cities we looked at, TELUS is top carrier in five cities. Bell Mobility, which shows the fastest Speed Score we saw in any of the cities analyzed here, is close behind showing the best speeds in four cities. Speed Scores for TELUS and Bell Mobility in Vancouver are close enough to declare a draw.

## Conclusion

Collaboration is working for TELUS and Bell Mobility making them the carriers to beat in Canada with the fastest speeds at a national level and in Canada’s largest cities. We’ll be excited to see how Freedom Mobile’s recent acquisition of 700 MHz spectrum licenses builds on their current performance running on mid-band spectrum. Time will tell if Canada’s carriers can keep the country at the top of North American mobile speeds and improve their worldwide rankings.

## Introduction

Canada’s fixed broadband speeds are fast enough to rank the country second in North America, behind the U.S., for both download and upload speeds. With seven long-standing internet service providers (ISPs), the market is also stable, with no shift in the list of top ISPs during at least the last two years.

## Country Speeds

Data from Speedtest Intelligence shows a mean download speed of 59.67 Mbps during Q2-Q3 2017 which ranks Canada 19th in the world for fixed broadband, just ahead of Spain. The country’s mean upload speed of 18.55 Mbps in Q2-Q3 2017 which settles Canada into 36th place globally, between the Czech Republic and Qatar.

## Fastest Providers

This year Ookla developed Speed Score to more accurately reflect the full breadth of consumer experience on a given network. Speed Score incorporates low-end, median and top-end performance for both download and upload speed. It’s a comprehensive metric that combines all factors that matter to a good network experience into a single score.

One ISP, Rogers, sticks out in Canada’s crowded fixed broadband market. When comparing Speed Scores, Rogers soars ahead of all six competitors in Q2-Q3 2017 with a Speed Score of 80.02. Shaw, with a Speed Score of 65.68, claims second place and is the only contender within a reasonable distance. Third and fourth fastest providers are Bell Canada and TELUS, with 52.59 and 51.73, respectively. TekSavvy finishes a distant seventh with a Speed Score of 26.00, proceeded by Videotron and Cogeco in sixth and fifth place, respectively.

### Speed Score

When analyzing fastest ISPs, we consider all ISPs with 3% or more of total test samples in the market for the period. We then determine the fastest ISP using Speed Score which incorporates a measure of each provider’s download and upload speed to rank network speed performance (90% of the final Speed Score is attributed to download speed and the remaining 10% to upload speed). The Speed Score uses a modified trimean to demonstrate the download and upload speeds that are available across a provider’s network. We take speeds from the 10th percentile, 50th percentile (also known as the median), and 90th percentile, and combine them in a weighted average using a 1:2:1 ratio, respectively. We place the most emphasis on the download speeds and median speeds as those represent what most network providers’ customers will experience on a day-to-day basis.

## Speedtest Coverage

With over 17 million Speedtest results in Q2-Q3 2017, we again see that a heavy portion of the fixed broadband Speedtest results come from the most populated cities in Canada. Nearly all providers show a relatively strong presence on the south-east end of the country, which presents Toronto and surrounding areas with a surplus of choice when it comes to service options. The cities further west, however, are less fortunate. Canada’s south-west region is served by about half of the seven providers leaving Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary with fewer choices. Providers in these cities are faced with lower competition, though that doesn’t appear to affect performance, as discussed in “Fastest ISP by City” below.

Three providers, Rogers, Shaw and Bell Canada, show the largest footprint of throughout Canada, with Bell displaying the widest regional reach.

## Fastest ISPs by City

#### Q1-Q2 2017

City speeds based on average speeds for all results. ISP speeds based on Speed Score for all results.
City | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Fastest ISP | Speed Score
Calgary, Alberta | 61.64 | 22.47 | Shaw | 68.52
Edmonton, Alberta | 58.99 | 23.78 | Shaw | 70.75
Halifax, Nova Scotia | 82.89 | 30.71 | Bell Aliant | 96.48
London, Ontario | 84.49 | 15.43 | Rogers | 92.81
Montreal, Québec | 43.56 | 16.10 | Videotron | 48.70
Ottawa, Ontario | 65.52 | 15.06 | Rogers | 76.02
Québec City, Québec | 54.65 | 26.99 | Bell Canada | 71.46
Toronto, Ontario | 74.68 | 18.09 | Rogers | 84.91
Vancouver, British Columbia | 64.91 | 37.05 | TELUS | 65.49
Winnipeg, Manitoba | 54.40 | 11.67 | Shaw | 70.91

London, Ontario, boasts an average mean download speed of 84.49, placing the city fastest in the country. Halifax, Novia Scotia is close behind, which might seem surprising, but Nova Scotia is home to the Department of National Defence and several related organizations. As such, urban areas of Nova Scotia have seen fast speeds for a while. Toronto, Ontario claims third place. Unlike what we saw with mobile speeds, Quebec City, Quebec shows slow fixed broadband performance and lands in third to last place. Montreal, Quebec is the slowest city, preceded by Winnipeg, Manitoba.

When comparing Canadian providers based on Speed Score, the cities are somewhat evenly shared between five of the seven. Rogers and Shaw tie as the top ISP, each with three cities. The remaining four cities are split evenly between, Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, TELUS and Videotron. It should be noted that while Bell Aliant is owned by Bell Canada, it operates as a separate regional entity that operates largely on fiber; data for the two entities is considered separately throughout this report.

## Conclusion

With fast fixed broadband speeds nationwide and all of its largest cities, Canada is a good place to be an internet user. It remains to be seen whether the leading ISPs in this saturated market will push those speeds even faster to overtake those in the U.S.