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
Rogers wins the 5G Live Video Experience award in Canada
Rogers wins the inaugural 5G Live Video Experience award with a score of 64.2 points on a 100-point scale — around two points ahead of Bell and Telus, statistically tied in second place. With these scores, all three carriers achieve an Excellent rating (58 or above). Live Video Experience score comprises a range of measures that impact users' perceived viewing experience, such as initial delay and total stalling time but also live offset — the time difference between real-time and the current playback position a viewer sees. Live Video Experience measures the experience of streaming live events such as watching sports games in real-time, concerts or game streaming.
Rogers is the outright winner of 5G Video and 5G Games Experience
In the previous report, Telus was top for 5G Video Experience and joint-top for 5G Games Experience alongside Rogers. However, this time Rogers wins both awards outright by a small margin. On 100-point scales, Rogers scores 76.1 points for 5G Video Experience, 1-1.8 points higher than Telus and Bell, and 86.6 points for 5G Games Experience — a lead of 2.7 points over Telus.
Bell continues to dominate in 5G Download Speed
Once again, Bell users clocked the fastest 5G download speeds in Canada, 173.8Mbps on average —19Mbps (12.3%) faster than Rogers and 26Mbps (17.6%) faster than Telus. By virtue of this, Bell remains the outright winner of Opensignal's 5G Download Speed award, while Rogers surges into second place. Users on all three carriers have seen significant improvements compared to the previous report. 5G Download Speed on Rogers has increased by 24.1Mbps (18.4%), while that on Bell and Telus has increased by 15Mbps (9.5%) and 9.5Mbps (6.9%), respectively.
Rogers is top for 5G Availability
Rogers is the outright winner of the 5G Availability award with a score of 12.1%, slightly higher than Bell and Telus' statistically tied scores of 11-11.1%. This means that, on average, 5G users in Canada spend 11-12.1% time connected to an active 5G signal, depending on their choice of carrier.
5G Experience Awards
Market Overview
In this report, we analyze our users' 5G experience in Canada with all three national carriers — Bell, Rogers and Telus — over a period of 90 days starting on April 1, 2023, and ending on June 29, 2023, to see how they fared in speed, experiential and coverage metrics. We also analyze the 5G Live Video Experience in Canada for the first time — a metric that quantifies the experience of our users watching live events, such as sports, game streams, or music gigs, over 5G connections. Additionally, we analyze how the 5G experience varies across major provinces, and compare the national carriers against regional carriers that only operate in some provinces.
In our previous look at Canada’s 5G network experience, we saw joint winners across a majority of the categories, but our latest analysis shows that Rogers has emerged as the dominant carrier. Rogers wins five out of seven 5G awards outright, including the inaugural 5G Live Video Experience award, and is also the joint winner for 5G Voice App Experience, alongside Telus. Bell is the only other national carrier to win a 5G award outright, as it comes top for 5G Download Speed.
Although Rogers is currently ahead in our national awards ranking, a closer look at the 5G Experience by region reveals a slightly different story. All three national carriers — Bell, Rogers, and Telus — tie for first place in 5G Video, 5G Live Video, 5G Games, and 5G Voice App Experience in at least three out of the six regions.
In recent 5G news, Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada (ISED) has announced a Non-Competitive Local (NCL) Licensing Framework for spectrum in the 3900MHz-3980MHz and parts of the mmWave 26GHz, 28GHz, and 38GHz bands. This approach aims to support 5G service development, enhance connectivity in various regions, including rural areas, and cater to diverse industry verticals. ISED designated 80MHz of spectrum in unpaired blocks, with a portion reserved for small operators. A spectrum limit of 20MHz per licensee will be applied. Existing licensees can apply during an early access application window, while an automated NCL licensing system is expected in 2024.
More recently, in July 2023, Freedom Mobile announced the launch of its 5G services with initial coverage in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, including the Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton metropolitan areas, plus other selected cities. Access to 5G services on its network is now automatically included in some of the existing packages. Concurrently Freedom has also launched nationwide unlimited 5G and 4G packages, along with ‘seamless roaming’ enhancements. These developments align with Quebecors’ earlier commitments made upon completing the Freedom takeover in April 2023.
We have published a companion Canada Mobile Network Experience reportt that analyzes the overall experience in Canada across all generations of mobile network technology.
5G Experience
National Analysis
Rogers is top in Canada when it comes to the quality of experience while streaming on-demand video over a 5G connection. Rogers wins the 5G Video Experience award with a score of 76.1 points (on a scale of 0-100), just slightly ahead of Telus’ and Bell's respective scores of 75.1 and 74.3 points.
All three carriers achieve a Very Good (68-78) rating for 5G Video Experience, which means our users on their networks, on average, are able to stream video at 1080p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling when connected to 5G.
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 5G Live Video Experience outright with a score of 64.2 points on a 100-point scale. Bell and Telus take second place with statistically tied scores of 62-62.5 points.
All three national carriers rate as Excellent (58 or above) for 5G Live Video Experience, which means our users in Canada are, on average, able to live stream video at least at 720p with satisfactory loading times, little stalling and a substantial live offset.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network. The metric extends the existing International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach used for Opensignal's on-demand Video Experience metric, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including live playback offset, picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived live video experience as reported by real people. To calculate live video experience, we are directly measuring live video streams from end-user devices and using this extension of ITU's approach to quantify the overall live video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
5G Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world live video streams when they were connected to 5G.
National Analysis
Rogers comes first for 5G Games Experience with a score of 86.6 points on a 100-point scale — 2.7 points higher than second-placed Telus and 4.5 points higher than Bell. By virtue of this Rogers achieves an Excellent (85 or above) rating for 5G Games Experience, while Bell and Telus rate as Very Good (75-85).
An Excellent 5G Games Experience means the vast majority of users deem this network experience acceptable. Nearly all respondents feel like they have control over the game and they receive immediate feedback on their actions. There is not a noticeable delay in almost all cases.
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 share the 5G Voice App Experience award with statistically tied scores of 81.7-82 points on a 100-point scale, while Bell is close behind at 80.7 points.
All three carriers place in the Good (80-87) category for 5G Voice App Experience — the quality of experience with 5G while using over-the-top (OTT) voice services over mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger.
A Good 5G Voice App Experience means many users are satisfied. But some users experience minor quality impairments. Sometimes the background is not quite clear, it can be either hazy or not loud enough. Clicking sounds or distortion are very rarely present.
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
Bell wins 5G Download Speed outright, scoring 173.8Mbps — 19Mbps (12.3%) faster than Rogers and 26Mbps (17.6%) faster than Telus.
The average 5G download speeds in Canada are 2-2.5 times faster than the average download speeds across all technologies.
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
Rogers wins the 5G Upload Speed award for the fourth time in a row, either joint or outright. Our users on Rogers enjoy the fastest 5G upload speeds in Canada, 31.1Mbps on average and 9Mbps (41%) faster than those seen by our Bell and Telus users. As a result, Rogers remains the outright winner of the 5G Upload Speed award.
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 — our users on Bell, Rogers and Telus place joint first for 5G Video, 5G Live Video, 5G Games and 5G Voice App Experience in at least three out of six regions.
When it comes to regional 5G Video and 5G Live Video Experience, Bell, Rogers and Telus are joint top in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. Rogers is the outright winner for both video categories in Ontario. Likewise, Videotron leads solely in Ontario.
In terms of 5G Games and Voice App Experience Bell, Rogers and Telus lead in Atlantic Province, British Columbia and Manitoba, while Rogers and Telus are joint-winners in Alberta. In Quebec and Ontario, Rogers leads for 5G Games Experience.
Looking at 5G speed categories, Bell users in Ontario enjoy the fastest average 5G download speeds in Canada — a whopping 201.4Mbps. As a result, Bell is the outright winner of the regional 5G Download Speed award in Ontario, while Rogers leads in British Columbia and Quebec with scores of 176.8Mbps and 167.5Mbps, respectively. In Atlantic Provinces and Manitoba, Bell and Telus are joint winners.
Rogers is the dominant carrier when it comes to regional 5G Upload Speed. Rogers wins outright across all provinces analyzed, except Manitoba, where Telus is the outright winner with a score of 24.5Mbps.
Regional Analysis Summary: Canada, 5G Experience Report, August 2023
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Coverage
National Analysis
Rogers wins the 5G Availability award, with our 5G users on its network connecting to 5G on average for 12.1% of the time. Bell and Telus are slightly behind with a 5G Availability of 11-11.1%.
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.
Regional Analysis
Looking at the regional 5G Availability, Rogers solely leads in Alberta and British Columbia. Furthermore, Rogers comes joint-top in Atlantic Provinces alongside Telus and in Manitoba alongside Bell. Meanwhile, 5G users across, Bell, Rogers and Telus, in Ontario and Quebec, do not see a statistically significant difference in the proportion of time they spend with an active 5G signal.
Regional Analysis Summary: Canada, 5G Experience Report, August 2023
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- Alberta
- Atlantic provinces
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- Manitoba
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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