Canada
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Canada
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Key Findings
Bell and Telus users report the top 5G download speeds in Canada
Bell and Telus remain the joint winner of 5G Download Speed with statistically tied scores just over the 135 Mbps mark. The victory margin is substantial as the average 5G download speeds of our Bell and Telus users was 38.6-39.1% faster than the speeds seen by Rogers users (98.1 Mbps).
Rogers leads in 5G Reach and 5G Availability
Rogers wins both the awards for measures of 5G's extent — 5G Availability and 5G Reach. Our Rogers users spent 13.3% of the time with an active 5G connection compared with 11.4-11.9% 5G Availability seen by Telus and Bell users. Rogers also wins 5G Reach outright with a score of 5.2 on a 10 point scale, just ahead of Bell and Telus' scores in the 4.8-4.9 point range. 5G Reach represents the proportion of locations a 5G user visits that have a 5G signal.
Telus seizes the 5G Video Experience award
Telus ranks top in Canada for the quality of experience while streaming video when connected to 5G. Telus wins the 5G Video Experience award with an overall score of 77.7 points. However, Bell’s score was less than one point behind Telus. As a result, both the operators earned an Excellent rating, while Rogers placed in a lower category — Very Good — with 73.8 points.
Rogers triumphs in 5G Games Experience
Rogers is the outright winner of the 5G Games Experience award. The operator scored 78.3 points on a 100-point scale, 2.1 points ahead of Telus, which places second with 76.2 points. With these scores, Rogers and Telus placed in the Good category for multiplayer mobile gaming experience — one rating higher than Bell, which placed in the Fair category with 74 points.
5G Experience Awards
Market Overview
Following last summer’s 3.5GHz spectrum auction, Canadian carriers have recently begun the process of deploying this new mid-band spectrum for 5G services. Rogers claims to be the first to launch mid-band 5G — with its first location going live in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The operator intends to expand it to urban centers — Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver — and multiple rural areas. On the other hand, Bell has made 5G Available with 3.5 GHz in Toronto, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Barrie and select areas of Mississauga under the 5G+ banner. Meanwhile, Telus also announced that it will be using the new spectrum to offer 5G through an Unlimited 5G+ package.
Canada's leading operators are well into the 5G deployment cycle. Still, the 4G/5G uplift in Canada's user experience has been lower than that seen by their peers in other 5G countries. This is because Canadian carriers have been limited to deploying 5G in lower spectrum bands. The use of 3.5 GHz spectrum band for 5G in Canada should help Canadian carriers to accelerate the 5G experience. Previously Canadian carriers have been limited in the amount of new spectrum that is usable for 5G and often deployed 5G in lower bands.
As Canadian carriers continue to deploy new spectrum to expand and improve the country’s 5G Experience, we have analyzed users' 5G experience on each of the three national carriers over a period of 90 days starting on April 1, 2022 and ending on June 29, 2022, to see how they fared. The recent high-profile telecom network outage occurred after our standard Canadian data collection period. We have also published a companion report, which analyzes Canadian users' experience across all generations of network technology.
In our 5G Experience Report on Canada, Rogers wins in five out of seven categories, either outright or jointly. Rogers leads in 5G Games Experience, 5G Upload Experience, both the metrics measuring the extent of 5G networks — 5G Availability and 5G Reach — as well as 5G Voice App Experience alongside Telus. Meanwhile, Canada's dominant carrier for overall mobile network experience — Telus — wins the 5G Video Experience outright and shares the 5G Download Speed award with Bell.
5G Experience
National Analysis
Our Telus users had the best experience when streaming video over 5G networks, making the operator the winner of the 5G Video Experience award. Telus wins with a score of 77.7 on a 100 point scale — 0.9 points higher than Bell's score of 76.8 points. Meanwhile, Rogers is further behind with 73.8 points.
As a result of these scores, Bell and Telus earned an Excellent (75 or above) 5G Video Experience rating. This represents a very consistent experience across all users, video streaming providers and resolutions tested, with fast loading times and almost non-existent stalling.
Definitions
5G Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world video streams when they were connected to 5G. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate 5G Video Experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the video experience observed by our users on each operator’s 5G network on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
National Analysis
Rogers wins the 5G Games Experience award with a score of 78.3 on a 100 point scale, ahead of Telus and Bell, which are in second and third place with scores of 76.2 and 74, respectively. As a result of these scores, Rogers and Telus placed in the Good (75-85) category, while Bell was a point shy of the same and placed one category lower with a Fair (65-75) rating.
A Good Games Experience means that the gameplay experience was generally controllable and users received immediate feedback between their actions and the outcomes in the game. Most users did not experience a delay between their actions and the game.
Definitions
5G Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator's 5G network. It analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience was affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter. 5G Games Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
5G Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world. Calculating 5G Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games.
National Analysis
Rogers and Telus are joint- winners of the 5G Voice App Experience award with statistically tied and identical scores of 79.8 points (on a 100-point scale) that place in the Acceptable category (74-80). This means our users in Canada did not see a statistically significant difference in their experience when using over-the-top voice apps between Rogers and Telus' 5G networks.
Definitions
5G Voice App Experience quantifies the experience of Opensignal users when using over-the-top voice apps — such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — on an operator’s 5G network. It uses a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. 5G Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
National Analysis
5G Download Speeds are much faster than the average download speeds across all technologies on all three operators in our Canada Mobile Network Experience report. While overall Download Speed Experience ranges from 53.4 Mbps to 69.5 Mbps, 5G Download Speed scores range from 98.1 Mbps on Rogers to more than 135 Mbps on Bell and Telus.
Definitions
5G Download Speed shows the average download speed experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Download Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
National Analysis
On average, users on Rogers experienced the fastest 5G upload speeds in the country, 24.2 Mbps. As a result, Rogers takes home the 5G Upload Speed award with a 5.7-6 Mbps lead over Bell and Telus, which were statistically tied for second place.
Definitions
5G Upload Speed measures the average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Upload Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
Regional Analysis
Opensignal has analyzed the regional 5G Experience on Canada's three national carriers — Bell, Rogers and Telus — and regional 5G carrier Videotron in six regions to understand how the 5G experience varies across different parts of the country.
While Rogers narrowly leads in our national awards table, things look different when we examine the 5G Experience by region. Telus wins the most regional awards; the operator placed first or joint first in at least three or more categories out of five across the majority of the regions.
Starting with regional 5G Video Experience, Telus wins outright in Manitoba by a huge margin, 13.2-19.4 points ahead of Bell and Rogers, with a score of 77.9 that earned an Excellent rating. Telus is also the joint winner for this category in four further regions: Alberta and British Columbia — where it shared the top spot with Bell — along with Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, where all three national operators joined the top spot for a three-way split. Quebec is the only exception for Telus, as our users in this region enjoyed the best available 5G Video Experience when connected to Videotron's network.
When we analyzed the regional 5G Game and Voice Experience, we saw close competition between the national operators. Our users on Bell, Telus and Rogers in three out of six regions reported no statistical difference in the quality of experience while playing multiplayer mobile games or using over-the-top (OTT) voice apps with 5G. This was the case in Atlantic provinces and British Columbia across both measures, Alberta for 5G Games Experience and Manitoba for Voice App Experience.
Further, Telus wins 5G Games Experience outright in Manitoba and is the sole winner of the 5G Voice App Experience in Alberta, while Rogers is the sole winner for both categories in Ontario. Videotron is also top across both the categories in Quebec; it shares the 5G Games Experience award with Rogers and the 5G Voice App Experience award with Rogers and Telus.
Turning to the 5G speed categories, Bell and Telus win the most regional awards for 5G Download Speed. They each win outright in one province (Bell in Ontario and Telus in Manitoba), are part of a three-way tie with Rogers in the Atlantic provinces and are statistically tied with each other in the remaining three provinces.
In contrast, Rogers wins most regional awards for 5G Upload Speed; it secured outright wins in Alberta, Atlantic provinces, Ontario and Quebec and a joint victory in British Columbia alongside Bell and Telus. Meanwhile, Telus users observed the fastest average 5G upload speeds in Manitoba.
Regional Analysis Summary: Canada, 5G Experience Report, August 2022
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Coverage
National Analysis
Our users on Rogers spent the largest proportion of time with an active 5G connection — 13.3% — making Rogers the 5G Availability award winner. Telus and Bell were close behind, with scores in the 11.4%-11.9% range. The higher 5G Availability is, the greater the amount of time users can benefit from the improved mobile experience that 5G can provide.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
5G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 5G connection.
National Analysis
Rogers wins a close run race for the 5G Reach award with a score of 5.2 on a 10-point scale. Meanwhile, sBell and Telus’ scores were statistically tied for second place, in the 4.8-4.9 range. This means our users in Canada connected to 5G services in up to 52 of 100 locations they visited on average.
Definitions
5G Reach measures how users experience the geographical extent of an operator’s 5G network. It analyzes the average proportion of locations where users were connected to a 5G network out of all the locations those users have visited. In simple terms, 5G Reach measures the 5G mobile experience in all the locations that matter most to everyday users – i.e. all the places where they live, work and travel. 5G Reach for each operator is measured on a scale from 0 to 10.
Regional Analysis
Looking at 5G Availability across regions, our users in Atlantic provinces and Ontario reported no statistically significant difference in the proportions of time they spent connected to active 5G signal on all three national networks — Bell, Rogers and Telus. This was also the case for users on Bell and Telus in Quebec, where both operators take the top spot. Meanwhile, our Alberta and British Columbia users observed the highest 5G Availability on Rogers' network. And in Manitoba, Bell wins the award outright.
In 5G Reach — a measure of how users experience the geographical extent of an operator's 5G network — Rogers is the outright winner in British Columbia and Ontario and shares the top spot with Bell in Manitoba. Our users in Atlantic provinces and Alberta saw no statistical difference in 5G Reach experienced across Bell, Rogers, and Telus.
Regional Analysis Summary: Canada, 5G Experience Report, August 2022
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A-I
- Alberta
- Atlantic provinces
- British Columbia
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- Manitoba
- Ontario
- Quebec
in Alberta
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in Atlantic provinces
in Atlantic provinces
in British Columbia
in British Columbia
in Manitoba
in Manitoba
in Ontario
in Ontario
in Quebec
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Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile and broadband user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
About Opensignal
Opensignal is the leading global provider of independent insights into consumers' connectivity experiences and choice of carrier. Our proprietary insights into mobile and broadband networks give operators the solutions they need to profitably compete and win, from executive level scorecards and public validation to pin-point level engineering analytics and consumer decision dynamics.
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Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience