Since April 2024, more than 25,000 comments have been received for the review of basic telecommunications services and more than 30,000 Canadians have filled out the Let’s Talk Broadband questionnaire.
Today, two weeks before the beginning of the public hearing, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has added a public opinion research report to the public record of its evidence-based proceeding on basic telecommunications services.
EKOS Research Associates conducted two types of public opinion research on telecommunication services in Canada and prepared a report for the CRTC. The first part of the report presents results gathered through a questionnaire that was completed by more than 30,000 Canadians. Between January 14 and February 29, 2024, close to 29,000 individuals completed the questionnaire. EKOS also administered the questionnaire with a separate sample group of over 1,600 Canadians representative of the population as a whole.
The second part of the report presents information gathered through focus groups held in small communities across the country which have limited or no access to broadband Internet services.
Highlights of the report
•Canadians’ online activities have increased dramatically over the past five years. Most have increased by 50 % and some doubled.
•Emailing, reading news online, researching medical information, banking and interacting with government websites are Canadians’ top five online activities.
•More than half of Canadians report using their home Internet connection more frequently than their mobile phone and home phone services. Also, they expect to still be using mostly their home Internet connection five years from now.
•One in five Canadians have limited their use of the Internet in the past 12 months for various reasons.
•Seven in ten Canadians are satisfied with the speed and reliability of their home Internet service.
•Only one in three Canadians are satisfied with the cost of their home Internet service.
•Two in three Canadians believe that prices in rural and remote areas within Canada should compare with prices in urban areas for telecommunications services.
A public hearing related to this review will be held from April 11 to 29, 2024, in the National Capital Region. To give Canadians another chance to comment on these issues, the CRTC will host an online discussion forum throughout the hearing. Canadians will also be able to follow the hearing closely, as it will be streamed on the Cable Public Affairs Channel’s website.
Have your say: