Number of Fixed Broadband Connections

The number of broadband connections skyrocketed from 2000 through 2007, experiencing yearly double-digit growth rates due to large increases in the percentage of households with internet access. Declining prices for broadband service have also contributed to this technology’s adoption as broadband internet access has matured. Since many broadband providers can provide adequate speeds, consumers can now turn to the internet for easy access to all of their media needs, such as music, videos and software, further driving broadband popularity. However, the rate of expansion for broadband connections tapered off during the recession, and growth over the past five years has been steady and historically moderate as demand becomes increasingly saturated.

Over the five years to 2022, the number of fixed broadband connections is forecast to increase at an annualized rate of 3.4% to 16.4 million connections. Over the past five years, the economic growth and technological expansion in Canada has increased the number of people getting fixed broadband connections. Unlike the purchase of a car or a home, broadband connections do not require significant capital investments, and rapid changes in technology have necessitated internet access for both businesses and individual consumers. Consequently, the number of connections increased 4.3% in 2011 alone, when the number of housing starts and corporate profit margins began to recover from recessionary downturns. More recently, growth has slowed as companies have struggled to deliver service to rural and Northern communities. To combat this, the Canadian government proposed the Economic Action Plan of 2014, which was set to provide $305.0 million over five years to extend and enhance broadband service to a target speed of five megabits per second for an additional 280,000 Canadian households. This would amount to a near-universal broadband coverage in the country. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a rise in broadband subscriptions from students and professionals working and learning from home. Even after the pandemic period, remote work and school remain relevant. Overall, connectivity has remained high, despite some businesses mandating current employees and new hires to return to office.