Introduction
In Q2-Q3 2019, data from Speedtest Intelligence® shows Canada ranked 13th in the world for average download speed over fixed broadband. This places them between Macau and France. Canada ranked 34th globally for upload speed over fixed broadband, between Malaysia and Estonia. Speeds over fixed broadband in Canada are rapidly improving with the mean download speed up 41.1% compared to Q2-Q3 2018. Mean upload speed increased 45.3% during the same period.
Country Speeds
According to Speedtest Intelligence, Canada’s average mobile download speed was 112.86 Mbps in Q2-Q3 2019. Canada’s mean upload speed was 43.79 Mbps in Q2-Q3 2019.
Fastest Providers
Rogers was the fastest ISP in Canada among top providers in Q2-Q3 2019 with a Speed Score™ of 161.56, a 33.2% improvement over Q2-Q3 2018. Shaw was second with 123.70 (up 59.9%) followed by Cogeco at 116.33 (138.7%), Vidéotron at 109.63 (105.1%), Bell Canada at 108.41 (32.2%), TELUS at 79.63 (27.1%) and TekSavvy at 36.61 (18.1%).
Regional Speeds
During Q2-Q3 2019, average download speeds differ even more over fixed broadband than they do over mobile with Canada’s fastest province, New Brunswick, coming in 231.8% faster than the slowest, Yukon Territory.
Fastest ISPs by City
Q2-Q3 2019
| City | Download(Mbps) | Upload(Mbps) | Fastest ISP | Speed Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London, Ontario | 146.39 | 27.64 | Rogers | 172.59 |
| Toronto, Ontario | 142.94 | 71.58 | Rogers | 163.17 |
| Calgary, Alberta | 136.57 | 32.64 | Shaw | 134.31 |
| Ottawa, Ontario | 135.08 | 43.32 | Rogers | 172.45 |
| Québec City, Québec | 134.55 | 88.78 | Bell Canada | 169.18 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | 127.47 | 46.79 | Shaw | 133.36 |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | 122.97 | 73.09 | Bell Canada | 167.04 |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | 116.57 | 56.05 | Shaw | 116.55 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 100.59 | 15.72 | Shaw | 133.01 |
| Montreal, Québec | 89.40 | 39.63 | Vidéotron | 116.57 |
For the fourth year running, London, Ontario showed the fastest average download speed over fixed broadband among Canada’s 10 most populous cities. Toronto, Ontario was second, Calgary, Alberta third, Ottawa, Ontario fourth and Québec City, Québec fifth. Montreal, Québec had the slowest mobile download speed on average, 63.7% slower than that in London. Both Montreal and second-slowest city Winnipeg, Manitoba showed mean download speeds over fixed broadband that were significantly slower than Canada’s average.
Shaw was the fastest provider in four of Canada’s most populous cities during Q2-Q3 2019. Rogers was fastest in three cities, Bell Canada in two and Vidéotron in one.
Conclusion
Fixed broadband speeds are rapidly increasing in Canada. Rogers is the fastest provider at the national level and in three of Canada’s most populous cities. Shaw is the second fastest provider at the country level and is fastest in four of Canada’s largest cities. It will be interesting to see if Canadian ISPs continue to build on their fast speeds or if investment levels off over time.