Canadian Telecommunications Association’s Post

While the price consumers pay for most goods and services has gone up in recent years, our new The Hill Times op-ed discusses how Canada’s telecommunications industry is fighting inflation one gigabyte at a time.   According to Statistics Canada, while overall inflation rose by 18.5% in the last five years, cellular service prices have fallen by a remarkable 47% and internet access services have fallen by almost 8%.   For comparison, during this period cellular service prices rose by 1.5% in the United States, while U.K. consumers have experienced a staggering 24% increase in cellular service prices.   In addition to lower prices, Canadian telecom subscribers are getting more value for their dollar than ever before thanks to investments by network operators that have increased wireless and home internet coverage and brought faster speeds and larger data allotments.   This would not be possible without Canadian policymakers’ longstanding preference for promoting competition among network operators, which has fostered the high level of investment required to make Canada’s telecommunications networks among the best in the world.   “The evidence shows that policies acknowledging the importance of facilities-based competition deliver investment-driven positive outcomes, such as coverage, quality, and lower prices.”   Read more in our latest The Hill Times op-ed: https://lnkd.in/gmzXHRfx

Bytes over bites: How Canada’s telecom providers are defying shrinkflation In a world of shrinking products – from smaller candy bars to fewer chips in a bag – Canada’s telecom industry is moving against the tide. While shrinkflation provides consumers with less bang for their buck, Canada’s telecommunications providers are delivering more data, faster speeds, and broader coverage, all at lower prices. Read our latest blog post to see how Canada’s telecom industry is bucking shrinkflation - one gigabyte at a time. https://lnkd.in/gabvXMQi

Fraud Prevention Month 2024: How to Stay Safe Online and on Your Mobile Devices March is Fraud Prevention Month, an annual campaign helping Canadians recognize, reject, and report fraud. This year’s theme, “20 Years of Fighting Fraud: From Then to Now,” highlights the evolving landscape of fraud, especially with the increasing use of technology. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), Canadians lost $567 million to fraud in 2023 — an increase of $37 million from the previous year and $187 million since 2021. Despite these rising financial losses, only 5% to 10% of fraud cases are reported. One of the primary reasons fraudsters succeed is that many Canadians are unaware of the risks and best practices when using mobile devices and the internet. While smartphones, tablets, and other devices offer convenience and power, they expose us to various types of cybercrime, including phishing, malware, identity theft, and SIM swapping. Additionally, the vast expanse of the internet provides both information and pitfalls, making it crucial for users to stay informed and vigilant. Read our full Fraud Prevention Month blog post for tips and resources to help safeguard yourself against the threat of fraud: https://lnkd.in/g9EYyu7d Remember, the best defense against fraud is awareness. Recognize, reject, and report any suspicious activity promptly. Stay safe online and protect your data!

You are not alone. Launch of the 988: Suicide Crisis Helpline   In a significant step toward supporting mental health and well-being across our nation, the 988: Suicide Crisis Helpline launched today.   The Canadian telecommunications industry is pleased to support the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and its network partners in the provision of this vital new phone and text service.   By utilizing an easy to remember three-digit number, the 9-8-8 helpline is designed to provide urgent, live support to anyone in Canada who is experiencing thoughts of suicide or is concerned about someone they know. Accessible via phone or text, the service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, in both English and French. This toll-free helpline, supported by CAMH, is a testament to the collaborative efforts of nearly 40 crisis lines nationwide, which together provide culturally appropriate, lifesaving support to people in crises.   Suicide prevention is the primary focus of the new 9-8-8 crisis helpline, but no one who reaches out using 9-8-8 will be turned away. Trained 9-8-8 responders are equipped to handle a range of crises, ensuring that every person contacting the helpline receives the support they need.   Our members are honored to support the launch of the national 988: Suicide Crisis Helpline, and to contribute to a network of connection that spans the entire country.   For more information and what to expect when calling or texting 9-8-8, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, please visit 988.ca.

BREAKING! A new @PwC report released today shows Canada’s telecom sector directly contributed nearly $77 billion to the Canadian economy in 2022 and supported nearly 724,000 jobs, while investing at a higher rate than international peers to meet increasing consumer demand and increase network resiliency. While investments increased, consumer prices for telecom services continued to decline, despite an overall increase in inflation, with prices for cellular and internet access services declining by 17.2% and 7.8%, respectively, between September 2022 and September 2023. But our work is not done. Continued investment is needed to further expand networks and strengthen telecom infrastructure against the impacts of climate change. Some of the new PwC report’s other key findings include: • Direct GDP contribution and jobs supported by the telecom sector in 2022 estimated at $76.7 billion and 724,000 jobs (vs. $74.9 billion (+2.4%) and 650,000 jobs in 2021 (+11.3%)*); • Enhanced connectivity, including 5G, has the potential to contribute an additional $112 billion to Canada’s GDP by 2035; • Telecom’s direct GDP contribution includes $24.7 billion from the sector’s value chain and up to $52 billion in direct impact from increased sales and other outputs from other Canadian industries through the incremental addition of additional wireless and broadband connections; • The six largest Canadian telecommunications operators invested $13.3 billion in capex in 2022 to continue expanding and enhancing their wireless and broadband internet networks; • Over the past five years, Canada’s telecom sector has invested an average of $12.1 billion annually on network expansion and enhancements. This represents a capital intensity that’s approximately 18.6% of average revenues, higher than the 14.2% average across peer telecom operators in the U.S., Japan, Australia and Europe; • Continued investments in Canada’s telecom sector have connected more Canadians to advanced wireless and broadband internet networks that can support their increasing data consumption, power the digital economy and provide a range of other social and environmental benefits; • 99.7% of Canadians had access to mobile network coverage where they lived or conducted business in 2021, while 93.5% of households had access to high-speed internet with speeds meeting the CRTC’s 50/10 Mbps targets in 2022; • The telecom sector has already suffered millions of dollars in damages to Canadian network infrastructure as a result of severe weather events and other natural disasters. Canadian service providers are investing in building resilient networks to manage future risks. Read “Connecting Canadians through resilient networks: The impact of the telecom sector in 2022 and beyond” at https://lnkd.in/dQiwgptm

New Accenture report highlights the importance of digital transformation and connectivity to achieving Canada’s sustainability goals and fighting climate change The need for a sustainable economy that provides a good quality of life while also protecting the planet is a concern for everyone. Canada’s current approach to sustainability focuses largely on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the adoption of renewables and developing alternative energy sources. While important, these steps will not be enough to meet Canada’s sustainability goals and must be complemented by other measures. As a follow up to its 2020 white paper focused on the role of 5G in the fight against climate change, Accenture has published a new report, Canada’s next sustainability frontier: Powering digital transformation with connectivity, that examines the importance of digital transformation to combating climate change and other environmental harms. In simple terms, digital transformation involves industries using data and technology to become more productive, while reducing waste and lowering energy consumption. In examining how digital transformation can drive both productivity and sustainability, the report focuses on three of Canada’s most important industries, the Oil & Gas, Mining, and Agriculture sectors. Using potential use cases in these industries, Accenture illustrates how connected devices and sensors, along with technologies such as digital twins, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, can be used by businesses to operate more efficiently and safely, and in turn reduce energy and fuel consumption as well as produce less waste. Read our full blog post to learn about the use-cases Accenture highlights in the report and the four enablers Accenture identifies as key to achieving the productivity and sustainability benefits of digital transformation in Canada: https://lnkd.in/g7_t7MD4

Saturday, September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, when we honour the children who never returned home and the Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. #NDTR Our President & CEO Robert Ghiz reflects on the meaning of this day and how the telecom industry is working to build a greater understanding of the history and perspectives of Indigenous people and advance the process of reconciliation. https://lnkd.in/gwafB8_E

As Atlantic Canada recovers from #HurricaneLee, power outages continue to impact telecommunications services in some areas.   If you’re in an area of widespread power outage, help reduce network congestion by limiting mobile phone use to essential communications until power is restored.   As power is restored, internet service should return automatically for most users. If it doesn’t, try rebooting equipment such as modems and routers by unplugging them and waiting a minute before plugging them back in. If that doesn’t restore your service, contact your provider’s support team.   Visit www.TelecomPrepare.ca for more tip and best practices on how to prepare for a storm and its aftermath. 

As Atlantic Canadians gear up for possible extreme weather this weekend, the Canadian Telecommunications Association is encouraging them to take steps to prepare for potential power outages and other impacts from storms that can affect their use of telecommunications services.   That’s why we’re launching today an awareness campaign sharing important tips and best practices that should be followed before a storm hits, as well as actions that should be taken during a storm and in its aftermath.   Some of the best practices include: Before a storm ·      Monitor the weather and be ready for emergency alerts.   ·      Prepare for power outages by fully charging your devices.   ·      Help reduce network congestion by using SMS/texting or email to connect with others and do not use your mobile phone to make phone calls unless it is an emergency.   ·      If you must make a phone call, keep your conversation as short as possible, and if your call is not connected wait at least 10 seconds before redialing.   ·      Do not use mobile wireless networks for data-intensive uses, like streaming video or non-emergency related internet use.   Visit www.telecomprepare.ca for more tips and additional details.